12 Ways to Celebrate National Oyster Day
August 5 is National Oyster Day, and we are ready to seas the day and have a shell of a party! (Aw, shucks. Did our oyster puns cause you to laugh - or groan - so hard, you pulled a mussel? Sorry not sorry, we’ve been waiting all year to bust those out.)
Call us shellfish, but we love to chat about oysters. From dishing up the Ultimate Oyster Lover’s Guide to the Best Restaurants in Charleston to 15 Oyster Facts to 10 Ways to Recycle Oyster Shells, our blog is loaded with tasty morsels of information about our favorite mollusks.
But hey, August 5 is almost here, and that means it’s time to shell-ebrate! We've got 12 of our favorite ways to live it up for National Oyster Day, so let's get shuckin'!
12 Activities for National Oyster Day
Wear your love of oysters on your sleeve - or around your neck - with a handmade piece of Lowcountry jewelry! We cannot think of a more appropriate way to accent your best summer outfit with a delicate Little Folly Oyster Necklace, an eye-catching Edisto Oyster Shell Necklace, or our sophisticated Coastal Calm Oyster Necklace.
Don’t be shellfish! Share the love by giving your best friend a Decoupage Oyster Dish, an Oyster Shell Ornament, or a set of our Oyster Shell Salt & Pepper Cellars. Our Oyster Shell Garlands, Oyster Candles, and Oyster Blessing Beads are fabulous gifts for the home, and if you’re celebrating National Oyster Day with a dinner party, you’ll want to pick up a set of Customized Oyster Shell Place Cards! These handcrafted place cards are an heirloom party favor your guests can take home and enjoy as a coastal decor accent for years to come.
Do an Oyster Tasting
Order up some happiness on the half shell for National Oyster Day! We’ve shared some of Charleston’s most sought-after oyster dishes on the blog before, but does anything really compare to the flavor of a freshly shucked order?
Settle in at your favorite Charleston raw bar, such as the Delaney Oyster House, and treat yourself to an oyster tasting of that evening’s raw selections. Savor the differences in salinity, texture, and finish as you relax and enjoy a night of fine dining.
photo credit: Neighborhood Dining Group
Volunteer to Help Restore Oyster Reefs
Dive into National Oyster Day with an ocean of love! We can’t think of a more meaningful way to spend the day than by volunteering to help recycle oyster shells or rebuild oyster reefs. Unfortunately, more than 85% of the world’s oyster reefs have been destroyed, but you have so much personal power to help us turn the tide!
Grab your friends or coworkers to volunteer to collect oysters, sorting shells, or rebuilding reefs through your local oyster recycling programs. At Grit & Grace Studio, we are proud to regularly volunteer with SCORE and share that our in-house oyster shell recycling initiative has now collected more than 6,000 gallons of oyster shells.
Order Farm Fresh Oysters Straight to Your Door
If you’re in a long-term relationship with your couch after last year, we feel you. Relish delicious fresh oysters in the comfort of your own home by getting a bushel or tasting delivered right to your door. We love Lowcountry Oyster Co.’s Oyster Bundle for its versatility and quantity: enjoy 50 or 100 oysters, your choice of four different mignonette flavors, and a shucking knife. Ain’t no party like a house party, y’all.
Visit an Oyster Farm
Go with the flow when you visit a Charleston oyster farm. Did you know oyster farming is the only form of aquaculture that actually improves water quality?
When you tour May River Oyster Company’s oyster farm, you’ll enjoy a 1.5-hour boat trip with May River Excursions while learning about the unique ecosystem of the saltwater marsh and their off-bottom oyster farming techniques. Touring an oyster farm is a unique, enjoyable, and informative experience that also helps you support your local oyster farmers. Tours are dependent on the timing of low tide; call May River Excursions to book yours today!
Learn How to Shuck an Oyster
If the idea of shucking an oyster feels a little fishy, get ready to sharpen your skills under the tutelage of Master Chef Nico Romo. NICO’s is currently offering private oyster classes at their gorgeous raw bar in Shem Creek.
During the 2-hour class, you’ll learn how to shuck an oyster, hear about current oyster farming methods, savor a curated oyster selection, enjoy two wine pairings, and leave with a signed copy of The NICO Oyster Hunt.
photo credit: Andrew Cebulka
Hike the Sewee Shell Ring Trail
Step back in time by hiking the Sewee Shell Ring Trail this National Oyster Day. Celebrate humankind’s eons-old relationship with shellfish by walking the self-guided 1-mile loop trail and learning about the shell ring, which dates back more than 4,000 years. Located in Awendaw, SC, this prehistoric shell mound measures 149 feet in diameter and stands 10 feet high. The shell mound, or midden, is primarily composed of oyster shells, marking the importance of oysters to Native Americans. Similar shell mounds can be found throughout the central coasts of South Carolina and Georgia.
photo credit: Leila Ross
Raise a Glass of Proud Pour to Oyster Shell Recycling
Sip back and relax with a glass of Proud Pour’s Sauvignon Blanc this National Oyster Day. This crisp and delicious white wine is made from organic grapes, and each bottle sold helps restore wild oyster reefs. To date, Proud Pour’s oyster shell recycling endeavors have replanted more than 14 million wild oysters to estuary ecosystems.
Love the idea of pouring one out for the planet? Proud Pour also makes Rosé for Reefs, Pinot Noir for Bees, Syrah for Soil, and a Cider for Sea Turtles.
Buy Tickets for a Seafood Festival or Oyster Roast
No plans for National Oyster Day? Don’t get crabby; get tickets for a local seafood festival or oyster roast! We love gathering with loved ones around the shucking table, a Lowcountry boil, or a steaming pile of crabs, and it’s even better when that quality time comes with live music at a scenic locale. Check out the Hilton Head Seafood Festival, the Charleston Wine + Food Festival, the SEWE Ducks Unlimited Oyster Roast, Oysters on the Point, and the Annual Oyster Roast at the Dill Sanctuary.
Dive into Charleston Oyster Culture
Are you looking for a luxurious sail-ebration? All aboard the Charleston is Your Oyster tour! Described as both a culinary playground and an educational classroom, this aquatic adventure sets sail in the ACE Basin under the guidance of a professional fisherman and oyster farmer.
After a guided tour of an oyster farm and cruise around the Lowcountry waters, you’ll sample Lowcountry Cups aboard the cruise. As a finale, your boat will pull up to a private, undeveloped forest for an oyster roast overlooking the Combahee River and a historic rice field before a delicious meal that includes champagne, black Angus pepper-seared roast beef filet, and mesquite-smoked grilled chicken. This incredible experience is exclusive to guests of the Charleston Place Hotel, so connect with a team member today to book your stay and plan for your adventure.
Start an Oyster Garden
No green thumb? No problem! Oyster gardening is quickly becoming a popular and altruistic hobby in coastal areas across the country for those with private dock access. You’ll set up a cage or oyster mat filled with adult shells laden with spat, or juvenile oysters, which is then suspended in the water to provide a predator-free environment for your new mollusks. There is some care required, such as removing crabs from your oyster cages, but you may find the care routine for your oysters therapeutic. Once the spat grow into adult oysters, they can be replanted to help restore your local oyster reefs. If you’re interested in learning more, you may enjoy reading up on the Marylanders Grow Oysters initiative, the Virginia Oyster Gardening Program, oyster gardening in Alabama and Mississippi, growing oysters in Eastern North Carolina, and Florida’s Restore Our Shores initiative.
Remember, the World is Your Oyster!
There are so many lessons to be learned from oysters, and we’re forever in awe of these tiny yet powerful creatures. Did you know a single adult oyster can clean up to 50 gallons of water each day? And oysters can turn a tiny, irritating piece of grit into a lustrous pearl? And that oyster reefs are one of our first defenses against storm surge? Study up on our favorite oyster facts and remember that the world is your oyster!
We wish you a happy National Oyster Day filled to the brim with, well, oysters! If you’re looking to add some oyster vibes to your coastal decor, you’ll love the World is Your Oyster Tea Towel, the Gilded Oyster Garland, and our Decoupage Oyster Jewelry Dishes. Pair them with a Lowcountry Tabby Concrete Candle or Gilded Oyster Candle to complete the look.
We also love to keep our Bloom Oyster Salt & Pepper Cellars, Lowcountry Oyster Lovers Gift Basket, and our Cheers Oyster Shell Wine Charm Set on hand as hostess gifts for those last-minute getaways and dinner parties.
Visit our King Street store or our booth at the Charleston Farmers Market, and let us help you select the perfect gift for your loved ones. We can’t wait to see you!
One Love & Blessings,