What the Pemaquid Oyster Festival is
The Pemaquid Oyster Festival is a one-day celebration of the oysters grown on the Damariscotta River, the estuary a few miles east of Boothbay that sits at the heart of Maine oyster farming. The festival has run for more than twenty years. It began in Damariscotta, lost its venue there, and after a pause during the pandemic it moved to Boothbay Harbor in 2023. It has been held on the harbor every September since.
It is a fundraiser as much as a party. Proceeds go to the Edward A. Myers Marine Conservation Fund, named for the South Bristol oyster farmer who held Maine's first shellfish aquaculture license. The fund makes grants to schools and nonprofits in the Midcoast for marine education and conservation.
When and where it is held
The festival takes a Sunday in late September. In 2026 it was held on Sunday, September 27, from 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM, with an oyster dinner the night before. The 2025 festival was also on the last Sunday of September.
The venue is Mine Oyster, the raw bar at 16 Wharf Street on Pier 1 in downtown Boothbay Harbor. The festival fills the restaurant and spills onto the pier under tents. The restaurant has windows on every side, so the day goes ahead in the rain.
Dates move a little each year. Check the festival's own site before you book a room, and book the room before anything else.
What to expect on the day
Oysters are the reason to come. Farms from along the Damariscotta River set up and shuck their own oysters, and you taste your way from one to the next. In 2025 ten farms took part. Tickets are sold for tastings, so you can compare a few farms side by side, which is the best way to understand why oyster people talk about where an oyster grew.
Beyond the oysters, there are two music stages through the afternoon, full-service bars inside the restaurant, and an exhibit tent where local conservation and aquaculture groups explain the work behind the shells. Shucking lessons are offered in the tent. A silent auction runs online in the weeks before and closes during the festival.
- Freshly shucked oysters from Damariscotta River farms
- Two stages of live music through the afternoon
- An open shucking contest with a cash prize
- An exhibit tent with conservation and aquaculture groups
- A silent auction for the marine conservation fund
- A paired oyster dinner at Mine Oyster the night before
The shucking contest
The shucking contest is the part people crowd around. Shuckers compete on speed and on how clean the oyster looks when it is done, and the winner takes home a cash prize. Some of the region's best restaurant shuckers enter, and it is free to watch. If you have never seen a professional open an oyster, ten minutes here will change how you order at the raw bar.
The Saturday oyster dinner
The night before the festival, Mine Oyster hosts a multi-course oyster dinner with wine pairings, built by the restaurant's chef. It is a small room and it sells out early, so if you want both nights, buy the dinner first and the festival tickets second.
Making a weekend of it
Late September is one of the best weeks of the year in Boothbay Harbor. The summer crowds have gone, the boats are still running, and the restaurants are open with tables to spare. Arrive Friday, take a harbor cruise or a lighthouse trip on Saturday, have the oyster dinner that night, and spend Sunday afternoon at the festival.
If you want to see where the oysters come from, drive to Damariscotta on the way in or out. It is about half an hour from town, and the village sits on the river that grows them.
Where to stay for the festival
Greenleaf Inns are on Commercial Street, a short walk from Wharf Street and Pier 1. That matters on festival day, when downtown parking is tight and you will want to leave the car and not think about driving after a few oysters and a glass of something.
Greenleaf Inn has ten king rooms and a third-floor sky deck over the harbor. Admiral's Quarters Inn next door has eight rooms, a glass solarium and a lawn with a fire pit, which is a good place to end a festival evening. Parking is free, one space per room. With eighteen rooms between the two inns, festival weekend fills, so call (207) 633-3100 early.
Questions we get asked
When is the Pemaquid Oyster Festival?
A Sunday in late September. In 2026 it was Sunday, September 27, from 11 AM to 6 PM, with an oyster dinner the evening before. Check the festival's site for next year's date.
Where is the Pemaquid Oyster Festival held?
At Mine Oyster, 16 Wharf Street on Pier 1 in downtown Boothbay Harbor. It moved there from Damariscotta in 2023.
Is the Pemaquid Oyster Festival in Damariscotta?
Not anymore. The oysters come from the Damariscotta River, but the festival itself has been held in Boothbay Harbor since 2023.
Does the festival happen in the rain?
Yes. The venue is a restaurant with windows all around, and the exhibit tent works in the rain too.
Who benefits from the festival?
The Edward A. Myers Marine Conservation Fund, which makes grants for marine education and conservation across the Midcoast.
How far is the festival from Greenleaf Inns?
A short walk. The inns are on Commercial Street and the festival is on Wharf Street at Pier 1.
