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Be happy! This is a weekend for oyster lovers

KATERINE SCHROEDER PHOTO | An artifact from when Shelter Island was a key player in the industry of the east coast.
KATERINE SCHROEDER PHOTO | An artifact from when Shelter Island was a key player in the industry of the east coast.

Fish in general and oysters in particular have long been a way of life on Shelter Island, providing sustenance and a profession to generations of residents. Until the 1950s, the Shelter Island Oyster Company was a booming aquatic enterprise located on the shores of Dering Harbor. That was then, and though not as plentiful as they once were, efforts are underway across the East End to bring oysters back to local waters — which is reason enough to celebrate.

Workers at the Shelter Island Oyster Company.
SHELTER ISLAND HISTORICAL SOCIETY PHOTO  |  Workers at the Shelter Island Oyster Company.

The Shelter Island Historical Society’s 4th Annual Oyster Event is Saturday, October 21 from 5 to 8 p.m. with oysters on the half-shell and Oysters Rockefeller cooked on-the-spot. While oyster lovers will find plenty to love, there will also be food for non-oyster lovers as well  including vegetable platters, cheese platters and other hors d’oeuvres. Guests can enjoy a glass of local wine or beer and listen to live music by Lisa Shaw and Tom Hashagen. On view will be an exhibit of Shelter Island Oyster Company memorabilia from the collections of the Historical Society. Guests can also learn more about the biology and ecology of shellfish from The Nature Conservancy’s Mashomack Preserve and how to grow your own oysters from Chris Pickerell of Cornell’s S.P.A.T. (Suffolk Project in Aquaculture Training) program representatives.

The event will be held in Havens Barn. The cost is $50 and space (and oysters) are very limited. Tickets may be purchased at shelterislandhistorical.org or by calling (631) 749-0025.