7th Annual Berks Co. Celtic Oyster Fest
Saturday August 22, 2009 - Noon - 9pm
Additional links
Movie of 2008 Festival
Drive time from nearby cities :
Harrisburg 55 miles
Balt. MD 120 miles
Wash. D.C. 180 miles
Philadelphia 58 miles
Pottsville 35 miles
Norristown 38 miles
Hazelton 75 miles
Wilkes-Barre 85 miles
Scranton 100 miles
Lancaster 35 miles
Allentown 35 miles
Bethlehem 48 miles
To purchase advance tickets you may now download an advanced tickets request form by using this link.
ADVISORY
All persons attending the festival are advised that proper ID will be required to purchase alcoholic beverages. Under Pennsylvania Liquor Control laws, a special license to sell alcholic beverages has been issued to the festival sponsor and all alcoholic beverages must be purchased on site. Therefore, it is against the law to bring beverages of any type onto the festival grounds. Violators will be dealt with under the law.
Click on newspaper to view this weeks edition of the Irish Echo!
Your Hosts:
Berks County Irish American Fraternal Association
P.O. Box 15102
Reading, Pa 19612
Our site is updated regularly Date of last update was May 20, 2009
Welcome...
Welcome to the site for the Celtic Oyster Festival of Berks County Pennsylvania scheduled for Saturday August 22, 2009 at St. Benedict’s Picnic Grove, Route 10, Morgantown Road, Mohnton, Pa. The grove is located between Morgantown and Reading and is easily accessible from the Pennsylvania Turnpike (route 76) and Route 422, via Route 176. We have added a map for your convenience, see link to the left.
We invite everyone to participate in our "Pre-Oysterfest Pub Crawl" on Saturday August 15 beginning at 5pm through closing time in Reading's Historic Pub District. There will be live entertainment, Oysters and food specials all night at the following pubs: Cavanaugh's dRh, The Ugly Oyster Drafthaus, The Speckled Hen and The Peanut Bar. Sly Fox Brewing will also unveil their special "Oysterfest Ale" throughout the evening. Advance tickets will be available at all locations. A flyer is attached (see link above) and additional information will be added in the weeks to come, so check back often for details.
We encourage you to take advantage of our advance ticket sale and urge you to visit our website often as there will be more information about the festival updated regularly. Visit our Guestbook as well and add your comments about the festival for others to see. Share your experience and let us know how you enjoyed your day.
We invite you to participate in our sponsor programs and vendor programs as well. Be sure to explore our website to see more about who we are and the opportunities available to participate in this celebration of Celtic Heritage.
As with any successful undertaking, we continue to rely on volunteers to help out in the various areas of our Festival. If you would be interested in helping out, we have established a link where you can let us know if you wish to volunteer during this year's festival. There are several areas where help would be greatly appreciated; Working the Gate, Kitchen area, set-up and clean-up, Bar, etc. The Volunteer Form allows you to specify what hours you would like to work. Just complete the form and submit it through the email link attached and we will be in contact with you. Thank You!
We look forward to seeing all of you again this year and hope you will enjoy your day as we celebrate Celtic Heritage in Berks County!
FESTIVAL INFORMATION
Once again we will hold our Oyster Eating Contest, sponsored by Super Duper Seafood. The contest will be held on Saturday afternoon and will include five (5) constestants who will have to consume 18 raw oysters over a period of time. Naturally the winner will be the one who finishes in the shortest period of time. There are definite rules and guidlines which will apply to all entrants, (click here for contest rules and application to participate.) All contestants MUST be a minimum of 18 years of age and complete and application, including signing the release section on the application. "All entries must be received no later than August 14, 2009." Successful candidates will be notified by August 17, 2009, if they are chosen to verify that they meet the requirements and conditions. They will then be told what time to report for the contest. Only the five contestants notified will participate, so if you are interested, please submit your application early.
FESTIVAL UPDATE
Once again the Oysterfest Shuttle will be operating for your convenience. The shuttle parking lot (click here for map) will be located on Route 10 about 1.5 miles from the Morgantown Interchange of the Turnpike, and about 3 miles south of the Festival Site. Signs will be posted at the entrance of the Shuttle Lot and there will be parking police on site during the day to maintain traffic flow and oversee the lot and the vehicles parked there. The Shuttle Bus will begin pickups at 11:30am and will continue until the last pickup at 8:30pm. The Shuttle will continue returning patrons to the lot until 9:30pm or until all the patrons are returned to their vehicles. Although there are no identifiable signs on the lot, it was previously an old pool and water park, so please look for the Celtic Oyster Festival Shuttle Parking Signs at the entrance on Route 10. In the meantime, if you have any questions that cannot be answered by checking out FAQ page, please use the email link and someone will get back to you from the committee a.s.a.p.
ENTERTAINMENT SCHEDULE
To view photos or slideshow choose the album "2008 Oysterfest" then click on a photo to start slideshow.
All photos courtesy of C. Russell Photography, Tobyhanna, PA
View Photo Album
Free Photo Albums by Bravenet.com
For information on this years entertainers and the performance schedule for both the Highland Stage and St. Brendan's Pavillion please click here.
Traditional "Irish Seisún"
The Highland Stage will again feature a Traditional "Irish Seisún" as the final musical act for this stage. "Irish Seisún's" are gatherings of musicians playing the traditional music passed down through generations, and are prevalent to many Pubs in the towns of Western Ireland. Festivals always attract musicians who love to play this lively music, and so we invite any traditional musicians who play in sessions around the area to join our core group of local musicians for an enjoyable evening of lively music and good friendship. All musicians should be able to play some traditional music and should report to the Highland Stage area at 7PM in order to join in the session. We also encourage everyone who enjoys to listen to traditional Irish Music to come and relax at the Highland Stage and enjoy the wonderful music from all these great local musicians. Come for the Ceol, and stay for the Craic!