There’s a festival for everyone in New York. If eating fresh, briny local oysters is your thing, head to Oyster Bay on Long Island for a festival of, yup, oysters. The 27th Annual Oyster Festival, on October 16 and 17, features tall ships on the bay and a variety of seafood vendors. All the seafood favorites—oysters on the half shell, mussels au vin blanc, lobster roll, fried oysters, softshell crabs, New England and Manhattan clam chowder—will be available, as well as favorite fair desserts, including funnel cake, frozen hot chocolate, and homemade fudge. The seafood and other delicacies will be shucked, seasoned, and fried by local groups such as the Oyster Bay Rotary Club and the Oyster Bay Fire Company #1. These long-time residents use secret (and delicious) recipes worth seeking out.
If you’re a knitting fanatic, drive up to the New York State Sheep & Wool Festival in Rhinebeck on the same weekend instead. One of the most famous of the wool festivals in the country (really!), the festival has large tents filled with small, independent yarn purveyors selling their wares directly to knitters. Many cute sheep and their shepherds participate in the festival as well, with lots of sheep and goat beauty contests and shearing demonstrations.
The preceding post is part of the Gothamist Fall Guide, sponsored by Lexus.
