N. Oregon Coast Festivals Full of Food, Oysters, Music

Published 08/24/2014

(Tillamook, Oregon) – Two big events on the north Oregon coast are coming up in the next two weeks, including tours of oyster-producing places and a large festival of musical and food fun. (Above: Tillamook Bay).

Curtis Salgado

If you enjoy Pacific Northwest oysters, or ever wondered exactly where they came from, one north Oregon coast event next week has the answer. On August 30, the Whiskey Creek Shellfish Hatchery located along Netarts Bay and Pacific Oyster in Bay City will be hosting free tours.

The oyster industry is an important part of Tillamook County and includes a number of farms, like Pacific Seafood operating out of Bay City. One of the largest oyster hatcheries in the country is Whiskey Creek Shellfish Hatchery, not far from Oceanside and Cape Meares. If you are interested in understanding where the tasty critters on your dinner plate come from or just curious about oysters in general, then this is the place.

This new tour includes an estuary walk to view oyster beds near Bay Ocean Peninsula County Park, a stop at Whiskey Creek Shellfish Hatchery, and a tour of Pacific Seafood’s processing plant. A number of the sites visited on this tour are not normally open to the public and the tours are a rare opportunity to learn about the these facilities, the state of the art scientific research going on at the hatchery, and the issues faced by the shellfish industries and wild shellfish along the Pacific Northwest.

The tour is supported by partners Oregon Sea Grant, Tillamook EcoAdventures, Whiskey Creek Shellfish Hatchery, Pacific Seafood, and Friends of Netarts Bay/WEBS. It runs from 9 a.m. to 2:30 pm., and free shuttle service is provided by co-sponsor Tillamook EcoAdventures, LLC (additional details provided with reservation). Any remaining slots will be filled first come first serve the day of the tour. Register yourself or group for a tour via email at tillamookoystertours@gmail.com or phone at 541-231-8041.

A week later and just around bend, the 2nd Annual TIllamook Music and Brew Festival takes place in Tillamook on September 6. Much music, a lot of food, tastings, brews and kids activities all takes places at the Blue Heron French Cheese Factory.

This is quickly becoming a massive event, and this year is headlined by famed Portland blues singer Curtis Salgado. Salgado is the winner of numerous national awards and one of the largest names in the northwest. His early act in the mid 70's in Eugene provided some of the inspiration behind the Blues Brothers, when John Belushi caught Salgado's shows in town while filming Animal House.

Other musical acts at the festival include Eric Sappington, Bay City Rockers, Two Crows Joy, Venti & Friends and The Exiles. Food is provided by several famed eateries from the north Oregon coast, including The Fish Peddler and Nani Papa'a.

The festival runs from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m., with Salgado hitting the stage at 8 pm. Cost is $20 with tastings for an adult, $8 without tastings. Youth (11-20) are $5, while those under 10 are free with adult. After 6 pm all adults are $8. 503-812-3861.

More about Tillmook Bay below and at the Tillamook Bay Virtual Tour, map.

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