80 bushels of oysters ordered for this year’s Port Royal roast. ‘That’s a lot of oysters’
The 25th annual Family Oyster Roast at Live Oak Park in Port Royal — one of the Lowcountry’s largest and most popular oyster roasts — is from 3-7 p.m. Saturday when residents and visitors are expected to slurp down 80 bushels of the seafood delicacy.
It’s the town’s 25th annual oyster roast and is sponsored by the Rotary Club of the Lowcountry. It will draw hundreds and raise thousands for good causes. Here’s what you need to know about this year’s event:
What it costs
$40 if you buy tickets in advance at the Port Royal Police Department, Bay Street Jewelers and Palmetto State Bank. The charge is $45 at the door. Tickets are not available online. Children 10 and under get in free.
What you get
All the oysters you can eat in addition to hot dogs, chili, deserts, beer, wine, and soda, plus live music from local favorite Mike Kavanaugh, a guitarist and singer who’s played most every bar and restaurant from South Beach to Beaufort. There will be live and silent auctions as well and door prizes.
How many people attend
On average, about 600.
Where the money goes
It’s one of the local Rotary club’s biggest fundraisers of the year, raising between $10,000 and $15,000. Rotary Club donates the money to area nonprofits.
Why it’s lasted so long
Bob Bible, the president-elect of the Rotary Club of the Lowcountry, told the Beaufort Gazette and Island Packet that the event continues to draw crowds because of the causes it supports and the experience of attending an oyster roast. Locals, he notes, like to take out-of-town guests.
“The majority of our attendees have attended in the past,” Bible said. “They just enjoy supporting the community. They know when a Rotary event is planned and organized, the funds are going to be used to benefit the community.”
Then there’s the oysters.
All about Beaufort oysters
They are wild-caught by Sea Eagle Market. And the quality, says Bible, is excellent. “They are just so delicious.”
There’s something that makes a Beaufort oyster distinct from oysters from other areas, he says. Bible admits that he’s no professional oyster man, but he knows what he likes.
“That flavor,” says Bible, “makes me want more and more.”
For this year’s roast, 80 bushels have been ordered. “And that’s a lot of oysters,” Bible says. They will be steam cooked on site. Bible expects every oyster to be eaten.
For more information
Check out the Rotary Club of the Lowcountry’s Facebook page or call 843-441-1587.
This story was originally published November 3, 2022 at 9:32 AM.
