Entertainment
The Bluff Oyster & Food Festival which takes place in Bluff this Saturday (May 20), will have no gate sales, as tickets for the popular event have sold out.
As always the iconic Bluff Oyster will be the star attraction with around 20,000 of the delicacy on hand. Food stalls will also provide other seafood such as blue cod, mussels, salmon, crayfish, whitebait, paua, kina, creamy seafood and oyster pie, plus seafood chowder.
There will also be plenty on offer for those non-seafood lovers, with items such as escargot in the shell with garlic butter, muttonbirds, venison burger, chicken nuggets. There will also be a range of beer and wine, plus tea and coffee.
International artist, Helen Henderson, who has a home in Bluff heads the musical entertainment this year. Henderson moved to the UK from Invercargill in the 1970’s. Other entertainment includes Otepuni Moonshine, The Stoutfellows, Bragg Brothers, The New Entrants, as well as performances from the Bluff School Kapa Haka Group and the Cook Island Drummers.
The professional oyster openers hit the stage in Shed 3 at 12.30pm with sections for Men and Women as well as a Teams Relay race. The reigning Men’s Champion, Shane Wixon, is back to defend his title while in the Ladies event, six time champion Vic Pearsey is back to try and extend her great record.
The Oyster Eating races follow with contestants selected from the crowd to down a plate of Bluff Oysters as quickly as possible.
Once again this year Festival organisers are offering a prize for the Best Costume, a reward for those who put so much preparation into their day out.
Gates open for ticket-holders at 10.30am before the traditional Piping In Of The Oyster, the Ode and official welcome at 11am.
Tickets for next year’s festival (May 26) go on sale immediately after this year’s event – get in quick!