Oyster Bay's Oyster Fest gets great weather to shop, shuck, slurp

The weather sets the tone for the Oyster Fest, and sunny skies with a bit of fall chill was just about perfect for the opening day of the 42nd annual event, which draws over 150,000 to the hamlet of Oyster Bay.

Over 40 shuckers from all over Long Island worked non-stop plating the mollusks, which came from Long Island Oyster Growers Association (LIOGA) oyster farms.

"At peak, they will shuck up to 10,000 oysters per hour. They are so fast that the wait is usually only five minutes," said Eric Koepele, LIOGA president and owner of North Fork Big Oyster farm. ". . . The oysters from the Peconic Bay have a higher salinity; therefore, you get a briny front end, whereas the ones from the Great South Bay are not quite as briny."

Landon Bickford, 21, of Gorham, Maine, a midshipman at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, went headfirst into a plate of raw oysters.

"These oysters are fantastic. They are among some of the best I've had," he said. "It's even better than sushi."

Among the pack of more than 170 craft booths was Limmer Designs, of Commack, featuring curated tropical insects frozen inside shadow boxes ranging in price from $15 to $200.

"The morpho butterfly is the most popular," owner Susan Limmer said. "It's a brilliant blue butterfly from central South America."

Another eye-catching booth featured handcrafted birdhouses by Billy Reardon, of Centereach, for Custom Wood Creations. With 11 designs, each was $175.

For John and Dawn Erb, of Levittown, coming to the Oyster Fest has been a tradition since 2011. The couple toasted with a pair of Oyster Bay Brewing Co. beers, Pumpkin Ale and Barn Rocker lager, respectively, at the Craft Beer Garden overlooking Oyster Bay Harbor.

"This view is beautiful," Dawn said. "You can enjoy the water and still hear the music from the Main Stage."

The oyster-eating contest involved contestants downing 75 oysters in record time. But sloppiness and regurgitation were not an option as all 75 must be fully consumed.

Ralph Paolino, 72, of Wantagh, handily won the oyster-eating contest. Out of 15 contestants, he was the only one to stand over his tray of oysters with a shell in each hand, slurping away at a rapid pace. He finished all 75 in 2 minutes and 43 seconds.

"I've been eating oysters all my life. I love them," Paolino said. "The key is to just suck 'em down and keep going."

Local shuckers geared up with knives in hand to see who could shuck a dozen oysters the fastest.

The winner, Jose Valdez, 42, of Ozone Park, completed his dozen in 1 minute and 20 seconds. His secret?

"I've been doing this for 10 years," Valdez said. "I used to work at Grand Central Oyster Bar. It helped me learn how to move fast."

The Oyster Fest continues Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.