The Jersey Shore is known for sun, sand … and seafood! For the freshest, tastiest dishes on land, check out these seafood festivals across New Jersey.
September 9
Robert J. Miller Oysterfest
The Woodland, Maplewood
This is a community health event for melanoma awareness featuring live outdoor music and food. New for Oysterfest 2023 is Burger Bash, a burger-tasting competition hosted by local restaurants featuring their best burgers. Live music from the band Garden State Groove and DJ sounds from Nix in the Mix will be featured. Additional highlights for the adults-only event include an open bar, bagpipers, dining with local eateries and the popular oysters and raw bar.
September 9-10
Downbeach Seafood Festival
Ski Beach, Ventnor
The beach will be a seafood lover’s paradise. Start by checking out more than two dozen vendors selling everything from clams to calamari, oysters to ahi, and even alligator. Sample Jersey-made craft beers, watch a cooking demo, check out the vendors or just walk along the beach.There will also be children’s activities and art, live sand sculpting, live music performances, complimentary seminars, a crab cake eating competition and a chowder cookoff.
September 16
Seafood Fest 5K
Point Pleasant Beach
Join the 5K or Kids 1-Mile Fun Run, and then stay for food, drinks and entertainment afterward, where you can show off your gold medal.
Festival of the Sea
Downtown Point Pleasant Beach, Pt. Pleasant
Aside from a seafood festival, there will be 250 craft and restaurant vendors, a beer and wine garden, live music, games, family activities and beach fun.
September 30
Chowderfest and Bayfront Festival
Taylor Avenue Waterfront, Beach Haven
Eight local restaurants will compete in the chowder cookoff, and then you can taste what they make. There will also be wine and beer, live music and activities.
October 6-8
SolMar’s Seafood Festival
SolMar Restaurant, Newark
The Ironbound section of Newark is known for its Portuguese culture. Taste local delicacies like goose barnacles (percebes), stone crabs (sapateiras) and tiger prawns to more exotic catches like sea bass and grouper. Portugal is also known for its national dish, salted cod (bacalhau). There will also be velvet crabs (navalheiras), co*ckles (berbigão), spider crabs (lapas), jumbo shrimp, prawns, clams and Portuguese octopus, plus sardines, horse mackerel, grouper, sea bass, black sword fish and halibut, among others.
October 8
Oysterfest
Mudhen Brewing Co., Wildwood
Watch live oyster shucking, or sign up for the amateur shucking contest. Head outside to the patio for the raw bar.
These seafood fests already took place in 2023; keep an eye out for the 2024 dates:
April
Seafood Week
Nunzio by Chef Michael DeLone, Collingswood
Chef DeLone takes you on a culinary journey with delicious Italian seafood dishes highlighted by crab, tuna, lobster, shrimp, scallops, clams, mussels and more.
May
NJ Seafood Festival
Silver Lake Park, Belmar
The Jersey Shore is known for fresh seafood, and there will be lots for seafood lovers and land lovers to try. There will be lots of Belmar restaurants represented, plus many from around NJ. There will be live music all weekend plus more than 40 vendors.
August
Clam Fest
Huddy Park, Highlands
The star of the show is the seafood-based food trucks, but if you’re more of a land lover, come for the Lions Club funnel cakes or the Highlands Fire Department BBQ tent. There will be a beer, wine and sangria garden. The streets will be closed for rides, games, children’s activities, specialty vendors, music and on Saturday a fireworks display.
Seafood Festival
Bellview Winery, Landisville
Saturday – Sunday
Unwind with your family and friends at a picnic table or under a tent. There will be local seafood vendors (who will offer non-seafood options for land lovers), live music, sangria, wine and craft vendors. Open to all ages.
Seafood ‘N Seltzer Fest
Monmouth Park, Oceanport
About two dozen seafood restaurants will be serving bites for lunch, and you can sample ten 2-ounce servings of seltzers to wash it down. For the kids, Family Fun Day activities will be open on Sunday. Both days will feature live music.
Crab Night
Nunzio by Chef Michael DeLone, Collingswood
Crab tomato sauce, known as Crab Gravy, has been an Italian tradition for generations. Chef DeLone makes his version with New Jersey blue crab, Jersey tomatoes, herb crumbs and handmade spaghetti. The menu also includes a house salad and peach tiramisu.
Seafood Food Truck Festival
Laurita Winery, New Egypt
There will be food trucks selling a variety of seafood and fish dishes. There will also be live bands, a clown, a face painter, wagon tours of the vineyard, and wine for the adults. On Saturday night there will be a fireworks show.
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