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Thousands of people are set to flock to town later this month for the 2019 Whitstable Oyster Festival.
Organisers have now revealed this year’s full line-up, featuring traditional events, the return of some old favourites, and a selection of brand-new features.
As ever, things will kick off with the Landing of the Oysters. The town’s famed molluscs are brought to shore by fishermen dressed in traditional garb, and blessed by a local clergyman.
Next up is the ever-popular Oyster Parade - a celebration of the sea and all its creatures, featuring music and spectacular costumes. The parade begins at the Harbour Stage at 10am, continuing along Harbour Street and up through the town.
For those looking for a bite to eat, Tankerton Food Fair is the place to head.
Taking place on Tankerton Slopes from 10.30am until 8pm on Saturday and Sunday, the fair promises a wide variety of regional, national and international cuisines - including, of course, freshly shucked oysters. It will also host musical performances across the weekend.
In the last two years - since the Oyster Festival was scaled back and parts were moved from the town centre to Tankerton Slopes - festival-goers complained about a “caged” feeling at the fair due to surrounding fences that are needed for licensing and security.
But Kev Sutherland, production director at Full Event Production Ltd, says this issue has now been tackled.
“This year, we’ve managed to change the style of fencing so they’re now lower and far less visually intrusive,” he said. “You’ll definitely not feel caged in any way.”
He added that more picnic benches will be installed this year, while festival partner 1724 Tonic will supply blankets.
He says steps have also been taken to combat litter, which has been an issue in recent years.
“We work closely with Serco, and put a large number of extra bins in the harbour and at Keam’s Yard,” he said.
“This year, we’re going to put litter pickers on the beach on Saturday and Sunday evenings, to reduce the amount for volunteer beach cleans to pick up on Sunday and Monday morning.
“On top of that, everything sold at the food fair has to be in biodegradable or compostable packaging. We’re looking forward to a fantastic family weekend in Whitstable”
This year’s Oyster Festival will also see the introduction of reusable cups - featuring a design by local artist Yaiza Gardner.
Not to be missed is the oyster-eating competition, which sees contestants attempt to swallow half-a-dozen oysters and a half-pint of beer in the fastest time, in the quest to be crowned 2019 Oyster Eating Champion.
The “mud tug” - where teams battle it out in a slippery and reliably hilarious tug-of-war on the mud flats at Long Beach on Sunday afternoon - is a must see.
On Sunday evening, the weekend will wind down on the seafront in a traditional fashion with the building of grotters. The carefully constructed towers of oyster shells are lit from within using candles - creating a magical sight as they glimmer on the beach.
For those able to make it along on the Monday, the fun will continue with more attractions for families, including the annual crabbing contest and the ever-popular kite-flying event, which is returning to Tankerton Slopes after a hiatus last year.
The Whitstable Oyster Festival Association (WOFA) is also back this year, after struggling to form a committee for the 2018 festival.
The group will be running satellite events such as the “nab the crab” contest which invites youngsters to spot crabs in store windows.
The festival has teamed up with local artist Quinton Winter, who has produced artwork and a fold-out map for the event. Ahead of the festival, he will run a series of workshops at the Horsebridge Centre, where guests can make artwork to feature in the parade.
Whitstable Oyster Festival takes place from Saturday, July 27, until Monday, July 29.
Visit www.whitstableoysterfestival.co.uk
For more ideas on days out and things to do, head to our What’s On section
