September 7, 2023--Chincoteague Island, VA: The Chincoteague Chamber of Commerce is excited about plans for the 50th Annual Chincoteague Oyster Festival slated to be held on October 7, 2023 at Tom's Cove Park located at 8128 Beebe Road. Less than 300 tickets remain to be sold with less than a month until the big day! Order online today at ChincoteagueChamber.com, stop by the Chamber office at 6733 Maddox Boulevard, or call 757-336-6161 Monday - Saturday from 9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Don't be left outside the gates on festival day for the huge 50th anniversary celebration!!  

Gates open at 10 a.m. Appetizers will be served at 11 a.m. with full menu including all seafood items beginning at noon. Island Boy is once again on tap to entertain attendees from noon to 4 p.m. Come prepared to win the coveted prize for Best Decorated Space! An Extravaganza of fabulous prizes donated by local businesses will be raffled off to one lucky winner at 4 p.m. Tickets will be sold throughout the day for a chance to win. Merchandise will be available for purchase in the Chamber office the week prior to the festival and at the Merchandise tent on festival day. To commemorate the 50th Anniversary, posters are available along with the wide array of souvenir short and long sleeved T's; crew, hooded and zippered sweatshirts; hats and trays. Visit the merchandise early as most items will sell out quickly -- cash or credit cards accepted. Presales and shipping will not be offered. 

The Pony Express Trolley will run FREE of charge from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. ($0.50 after 5 p.m.) for festival goers to enjoy. Parking is limited...Ride the Pony Express! Visit www.chincoteaguechamber.com for other Helpful Hints to make your day most enjoyable.

Be sure to thank our amazing volunteers who will be preparing your feast of oysters........ on the half shell, steamed, single fried, and fritters; clam chowder, clam fritters, shrimp cocktail, salad bar, boardwalk fries, hushpuppies, and hot dogs. Non-alcoholic beverages are included in the ticket price. Beer, commemorative glass beer mugs, and desserts will be available for cash purchase only. 

Follow along with us on Facebook as we will be featuring fun contests and memories up until festival day. Be sure to bring your "Oldest Chincoteague Oyster Festival shirt" for a fun contest to win a "coveted prize" and bragging rights! Details at the festival.

THANK YOU TO OUR 2023 OYSTER FESTIVAL SPONSORS

Band sponsor is Seaside Vacations & Sales and mug sponsor is Best Western Chincoteague Island. T-shirt sponsors are: Accomack Title & Settlement Inc; Angie Abell @ Beach Bay Realty; Bay Consortium Workforce Development Board; Billy Reed Jr. Construction; Bottoms Up Tiki Tours; Captain Dan's Island Tours; Channel Bass Inn; Cheryl Taylor Creations LLC; Coastal Shore Vacations; Comfort Suites Chincoteague Island; Daisey's Island Cruises; Davis Disposal; Dockside Properties; Don's Seafood Restaurant; Hawbaker's Welding & Fabrication; Island Artisans; Island Chiropractic Center; Key West Cottages; Kiwanis Club of Chincoteague; Landmark Insurance & Financial Group; Mister Whippy; Moore's Portable Solutions; Mudlark Pottery; NFP Property & Casualty Services Inc; Peninsula Bath LLC; Pfefferkorn's Coffee; PNC Bank; Ray's Shanty Restaurant; Rothe Enterprises; Second Hand Sunshine Thrift Store; Sharp Energy Inc; Shoreline Wellness & Primary Care; Sunshine Cottage; Suze Q's Shear Magic; Sysco Eastern Maryland LLC; Taylor Bank; The Island Theatre; The Reef Villas; Tom's Cove Aqua Farms; Tom's Cove Park; Tri-Meta Wellness Center; Waterside Inn; WatsonGas Inc; and Weichert Realtors-Mason Davis.

Fall is a beautiful time of year on Chincoteague Island, so come enjoy the festival, then spend the weekend wandering miles of secluded trails on Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge and pristine beach on Assateague Island National Seashore. As part of the Atlantic Flyway, the sights and sounds of the fall migration will also be in full swing. Boat cruises, kayak excursions, bike rentals, and other great indoor and outdoor adventures await. Stroll through our quaint art galleries, boutiques, book stores, and specialty shops to purchase island treasures and dine on local seafood at our eateries from food trucks to fine dining with a casual flare. Fun-filled itineraries focused on history, coastal cuisine, shopping, Chincoteague Ponies, nature trails and time on our brackish waters will lead to a love of our small town charm.

Come fall in love with Chincoteague Island! You'll LOVE where we take you!