About
Chincoteague Oyster Festival
Tom's Cove Park, 8128 Beebe Road, Chincoteague Island, VA 23336
- Date: 10/11/2025
- Starts: 10:00 AM
- Ends: 4:00 PM
52nd Annual Chincoteague Oyster Festival
CELEBRATING CHINCOTEAGUE 'SALTS' & THE BEGINNING OF OYSTER SEASON
Tom's Cove Park, 8128 Beebe Road, Chincoteague Island, VA 23336
Locate The Festival On Google Maps
- Date: 10/11/2025
- Starts: 10:00 AM
- Ends: 4:00 PM
Join the Chincoteague Chamber of Commerce at the 52nd Annual Chincoteague Oyster Festival! Held each year to mark the arrival of Oyster Season and promote the seafood industry that is integral to Chincoteague Island.
Enjoy all you can eat seafood, live music from Island Boy (a festival favorite for over 30 years), Extravaganza Raffle, Best Space Awards, and so much more!
Tickets are $65 per person (Children under 5 are FREE)
Tickets Can be purchased by clicking 'BUY NOW', calling 757-336-6161 or stopping by the Chamber office, 6733 Maddox Boulevard, Chincoteague. ![]()
VIP Spaces Available Again this Year!
Reserve your 2025 Chincoteague Oyster Festival space within a special VIP area!! This area is limited to 10 spaces and includes 10 wristbands, a 20'x20' reserved space and one picnic table. Spaces are $1,500 and will be reserved on a first come/first pick basis, so don't delay in purchasing yours now! You can also purchase a 15'x15' tent for an additional $500.
Learn more with the VIP Package Flyer and VIP Package Layout to choose your space.
Call 757-336-6161 or email events@chincoteaguechamber.com to reserve your space by September 6. If you have already purchased tickets to the festival but are still interested in a VIP space, we will work with you!
REFUND POLICY – Event is held rain or shine. Every attempt will be made to have the festival on the date and time advertised, however circumstances beyond the Chamber’s control may require rescheduling or delay. All sales are final in case of ticketholder cancellation or organizer postponement. If the event is cancelled by the organizer or due to circumstances beyond our control, tickets may be transferred to a future festival or refunded at 80% within 60 days of cancellation. After that time, only ticket transfers to future festivals will be honored. Tickets are limited, so order early!!! This is a sell out event!
FESTIVAL TIMELINE:
10:00 am - Gates open NO EARLY ENTRY FOR SETUP Items set up prior to 10am will be removed
11:00 am - Appetizer tents begin serving Clam Chowder, Shrimp Cocktail, Salad Bar, Boardwalk Fries, Hushpuppies, Hot Dogs
12:00 pm - Seafood tents begin serving Oysters on the Half Shell, Steamed Oysters, Single Fried Oysters, Oyster Fritters, Clam Fritters
Live music begins
4:00 pm - Festival ends
6:00 pm - Festival Grounds clear of all attendees and volunteers - Due to insurance liability purposes
RULES & REGULATIONS:
Wear Your Wristband
o All attendees must have a festival wristband prior to entrance to festival grounds.
o E-tickets must be scanned either by scanners at the entrance of Toms Cove Park or at the Will Call tent to acquire festival wristband.
Entering & Exiting
o Attendees can come and go to the festival grounds from 10am – noon.
o After Noon you will not be permitted to re-enter the festival grounds, wristbands will be cut as you exit.
Bring ID
o All attendees age 21 and over MUST provide a photo ID at the beer tent to purchase beer. No exceptions!
Do Not Remove Food from the Festival!
o Eat all you want, but do not remove food from the festival grounds.
o All coolers and bags are subject to search by festival staff and volunteers.
Prohibited on the Festival Grounds
o Pets
o Vehicles of ANY kind – including golf cart, one wheels, scooters, and bicycles
o Fire pits/rings
UPON PURCHASE OF TICKET(S), YOU UNDERSTAND AND AGREE TO ALL THE ABOVE MENTIONED TERMS AND CONDITIONS.
HELPFUL HINTS: Make Your Festival Experience More Enjoyable
Getting to the Festival:
Location: Tom's Cove Park, 8128 Beebe Road, Chincoteague Island, VA 23336.
Parking is limited and is available on a first come/first serve basis.
o Vehicles will not be admitted to the campground until 8:00a.m.
o Do not park anywhere unless instructed by a parking volunteer.
o Handicap parking and courtesy shuttle are available at the festival grounds.
FREE Pony Express Trolley provided by the Chamber and the Town of Chincoteague from 9AM to 5PM!
o The trolley will run the GREEN ROUTE on festival day at approximate 30 minute intervals.
o Additional stop at the Chincoteague Combined School, 4586 Main Street, for day trippers. Once parked at the school, call 757-854-8575 for the dispatcher.
o The trolley is handicap accessible.
o After 5pm the charge is $0.50/person and pick up will be at the trolley hut at the entrance of Tom's Cove Park.
o Detailed Trolley Information
Walking or biking is also encouraged!
What should I bring?
· Bring Cash - Beer tent, Extravaganza, and desserts only accept cash
· Bring Your Own Tables and Chairs - There are a limited number of picnic tables available. You may wish to bring your own folding tables, chairs, blankets, etc.
How does the “All You Can Eat” work?
· Food Booths - Each booth is marked with a banner noting which item it will serve.
· Expect lines – Lines begin to form prior to service start. Please be patient as we prepare all the food onsite as fast as possible.
· Food Availability – Despite our best efforts to provide enough of each food item, we cannot guarantee that each item will be available until 4pm.
· Two Serving Per trip, Per Person - to alleviate wait times, and give everyone an opportunity to get some of each item.
· Additional Servings - You may go back to each booth as many times as you want!
Are there beverages?
· Water, soda, and coffee are included in the ticket price
· Beer will be sold separately with photo ID, cash only
Is there Merchandise for sale?
· Souvenir Trays will be on sale at the Merchandise and Beer tents. These are great to assist you in carrying your food.
· Souvenir Mugs will be sold at the Merchandise and Beer tents.
· Souvenir Apparel (t-shirts, sweatshirts, and hats) will be sold at the Merchandise tent.
· Merchandise may be available one week prior to festival in the Chamber Office.
· Merchandise items sell out quickly. We recommend making your purchases early.
· We accept all major credit cards in the office and on festival day for merchandise.
What Else Should I Know?
· Help us recycle at the Festival! Shell recycling benefits The Nature Conservancy and can recycling benefits Davy's TherAppy Farm
· Extravaganza of Prizes Raffle tickets
will be available to festival ticket holders on festival day. The
winner is announced at 4pm at the band stand and will receive thousands
of dollars in merchandise and certificates. You do not need to be
present to win. Cash only.
· "Best Space Award"
– Have fun decorating your space and win! Register your space at the
Information tent. The winning space is announced at 4pm at the band
stand and wins a great basket of prizes along with bragging rights!
HANDICAP ACCESSIBILITY - While all are welcome to attend, please note that the festival grounds cover approx. 90,000 sq. feet and almost 3,000 attendees. The festival is held at a campground, so the ground has grassy areas with tree roots, and gravel roads. Food tents are primarily located on the perimeter of the festival grounds and lines will be long, especially at the beginning of the day. Handicap parking is available on a first come, first serve basis and a courtesy shuttle is available to help transport individuals from handicap parking to the festival grounds.
Features:
Festivals, Oysters