Blaine Oyster Festival to benefit local nonprofits

Blaine Oyster Festival is returning Saturday, May 20 for people to enjoy oysters in downtown Blaine while benefiting local nonprofits. The festival will bring back some of the highlights that made last year’s inaugural event a success while introducing new family-friendly activities. The festival runs noon to 8 p.m.

The oyster festival will have a seafood barbecue where punch cards can be purchased at the G Street Plaza and Blaine Welcome Center for oysters and clams. Net proceeds will be evenly split between local nonprofits Community Assistance Program, Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association, Girl Scouts and Blaine Chamber of Commerce.

“The structure of this event is different from October but I’m really hopeful that it will resonate with the community that local nonprofits are getting involved and getting support,” Blaine chamber director Jacquee Sovereign said. “I would love to see them be very successful at the event.”

A street fair will take over H Street with over 35 vendors selling arts and crafts, jewelry, soaps, woodwork, beauty products and other goods. H Street will be closed one block from Peace Portal Drive to 3rd Street, but Peace Portal Drive will be open to vehicle traffic, Sovereign said. The fair will run noon to 5 p.m.

Live bands will be performing throughout the day. Alex Britton and Pretty Much Nothing will play modern rock at G Street Plaza, and the bands Kickerville, The Three Radicals and The Takers will play classic rock at H Street Plaza.

In addition to live music, G Street Plaza will be full of other activities noon to 6 p.m. Beach Cat Brewery will have a beer garden, and there will be a kids food court with ice cream floats, lemonade and hot dogs on the plaza. Semiahmoo Resort will also host a salmon cooking demonstration.

Drayton Harbor Oyster Company will be serving barbecued and raw oysters at its restaurant at H Street Plaza, and proceeds will go to Drayton Harbor water-quality monitoring.

A shuttle from downtown will transport people to Blaine Marine Park for Blaine Birch Bay Park and Recreation District 2’s “Picnic at the Playground” through mid-afternoon. The pirate playground will have games and crafts for children three years and up, said parks and rec activity coordinator Celine Mauger. Hot dogs and refreshments will be sold for $1, and a Kona Ice truck will be at the playground.

The parks and recreation district is putting on the event in conjunction with oyster fest and as a celebration of Kids to the Park Day, an annual day of outdoor play celebrated nationwide. The park activities will take place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. A shuttle bus will run every 20 minutes to take people to and from the park and downtown, with the potential to run more frequently, depending on demand, Mauger said.

Blaine Police Department is expected to have at least one police officer patrolling the festival, Sovereign said. 

“I’m excited to see how the changes we’ve made to this event will make things go more smoothly,” Sovereign said. “Seeing the community together and the event will be fun.”