Oyster lovers will converge on the Texas coast this weekend as the Texas Surf Conservancy hosts its fourth annual Texas Oyster Round Up, a celebration of the state’s growing oyster farming industry and the coastal habitats that sustain it.
The free festival is scheduled for noon to 6 p.m. Saturday, February 28 at WaterStreet Restaurants in downtown Corpus Christi. Organizers say the event will feature the largest gathering of Texas oyster farmers to date, bringing together more than 10 farms for tastings and educational panels.
From 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., attendees can sample farmed oysters from across the Texas coast in a tasting room designed to spotlight the industry’s rapid expansion. Oyster aquaculture has gained momentum in recent years as a way to support working waterfronts while easing pressure on wild reef harvests.
Texas Oyster Round Up returns to Corpus Christi
The event also will include guest speakers such as Dr. Bill Walton of the Virginia Institute of Marine Science and Dr. Lindsay Glass Campbell of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, who are expected to discuss the science behind oyster mariculture and its environmental impact. A panel conversation will examine how Texas restaurants can help strengthen the market for farm-raised oysters…