While other parts of the nation marvel at the changing leaves and prepare for the coming winter, fall along the rim of Chesapeake Bay in Maryland and Virginia has an entirely different meaning. That’s because the first day of October through the end of April marks the best time of the year to harvest one of the Bay’s true treasures — oysters.
Modern refrigeration means the bivalve filter feeders are available year-round, but traditionally the oysters are said to be “in-season” during months containing the letter ‘R.’
“Generally, we let [customers] know whether the oysters are salty or not,” said Jim Richardson, manager Frank’s Seafood Market. “A lot of people say the salty ones are better. We carry Bluepoint and Chincoteague, and many say the Chincoteagues are better because they’re salty.”
Many towns along the Bay still adhere to that schedule for local festivals. One such community festival, the Urbanna Oyster Festival, has been held every year during the first week of November for 51 years. Located three-and-a-half hours from Baltimore, some 20 miles from the Bay along the Rappahannock River, Urbanna (in Virginia) welcomes some 75,000 visitors and more than 125 vendors to the two-day event.
This year, a week of cloudy skies finally cleared, and unseasonably warm temperatures in the 70s gave the normally chilly festival an almost spring-like feel. It was a perfect day for a day trip and a festival. And judging by the number of campers in the nearby campground and three lots filled with parked cars, my mother, cousin and I weren’t the only ones who thought so.
A quaint town with one main street and a commercial district, Urbanna pulls out all the stops for the festival. Vendors’ stalls line the streets. Businesses greet visitors with doors thrown wide open. There are bands and seafaring and oyster-related activities as well as a small-town parade featuring local firemen, police and EMS workers. The festival queen is crowned, and there is also the annual state oyster-shucking contest.
Sweet, succulent and fresh from the Bay, the oysters alone are well worth the trip. Vendors highlight the bivalves’ versatility with offerings from oyster chowder to oysters roasted in the shell to raw oysters on the half shell.
Oyster stew
2 ribs celery with leaves, finely chopped
3 tablespoons butter
4 cups milk
1 pint fresh oysters
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon celery salt
Fresh-ground pepper, to taste
1 box oyster crackers
