This weekend, the Maryland Seafood Festival will take over Sandy Point State Park for the 52nd time. It emphasizes the Bay cuisine our region is best-known for: oysters, fish, and crabs in every form.
The festival, held Saturday, September 7 and Sunday, September 8, brings back its most popular events. At Saturday’s crab soup cook-off, restaurants will put up ten to 15 different soups, competing in three different categories. Whichever soups win, the tasters are the real winners here (here’s our favorite from last year). People who consider themselves seafood aficionados can also take part in crab cake-eating and crab-picking contests.
Live bands will perform throughout the weekend as usual, kicking off with the traditional set from Chesapeake Steel Drum Band, adding some new musical acts, and ending with the local favorite, Kelly Bell Band. A fireworks display starts at 8:30 p.m. Saturday over the Bay.
New for 2019, there is a craft beer and oyster tent offering tastings, and TVs showing football, so fans don’t have to miss the start of the season. For a different kind of sporting entertainment, the King BMX Stunt team will perform aerial stunts both days of the festival.
The Kids Zone has expanded this year, with inflatables, obstacle courses, and a “Fishmobile.” There are more than 45 artisan vendors in our Chesapeake Arts village. Finally, a treasure hunt will encourage visitors to keep their eyes peeled for a chance to win prizes.
Chesapeake Bay Magazine is offering a special code for advanced, online ticket sales. You can save $5 on general admission with code: CBM19. For festival tickets, click here.
-Meg Walburn Viviano
