Photo by Anjali Pinto
This year marks the 29th annual celebration of Oyster Fest and Shaw’s Crab House is inviting guests into its downtown Oyster Bar for a 10-day party from Oct. 5-Oct. 15. The 10-day soiree includes it all, from all day happy hours and dinners with award-winning oyster purveyors from around the country to special oyster dishes, and more.
Daily Happenings
- Happy Hour: Shaw’s has extended their popular happy hour from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. to all day! Enjoy half off one East Coast and one West Coast oyster from open to close in the Oyster Bar!
- Pop-Up Happy Hours with .50 Cent Oysters: In addition to the Oyster Fest Happy Hour specials, they will be offering surprise .50 cent oyster hours throughout the week that will be announced exclusively on social media (@shellyfromshaws) and the Shaw’s mobile club.
- Slurp-Off Contests: Shaw’s slurp-off competitions will be taking place throughout the week. The first round will take place at 6 p.m. on kickoff night, Oct. 5., with additional slurp-offs happening on Oct. 9-Oct. 11 at 6 p.m. The final will take place during the Grand Finale Event on Oct. 15 with the winner taking away the title of Slurp-Off Winner and $1,000 in Shaw’s gift certificates.
- Live music: Blues music will be happening every night of Oyster Fest from 7p.m. to 10 p.m. in the Oyster Bar. View the band line-up here.
- Special Oyster-Centric Menu: We’ve created special dishes for Oyster Fest including Po’boys, Baked and Grilled Oysters, Pan Roast Oysters, and their house specialtyBuffalo Oysters to celebrate the oyster throughout the 10-day party run.
Special Events
- Thursday, Oct. 5: Tap Party with Haymarket Brewery: Shaw’s is kicking off Oyster Fest with a tap party in collaboration with Haymarket Brewery. They are celebrating their first ever tap release outside of their Chicago-based brewery with a brand new Shaw’s beer, Lemon Rye-sing Saison, that was made to pair perfectly with fresh oysters.
- Saturday, Oct. 7, Sunday, Oct. 8, Saturday, Oct. 14, and Sunday, Oct. 15: Shaw’s Oyster Fest Brunch: Make a reservation for one of the restaurant’s fabulous Saturday or Sunday brunches. Many additional oyster offerings will be on the display at the Grand Shaw’s Buffet that has redefined brunch in Chicago.
- Thursday, Oct. 12: From Coast-to-Coast Dinner: Shaw’s and guest chef Leo Waldmeier, of the iconic Drake Hotel and Cape Cod Room, are welcoming oyster growers from each of the coasts to come together for the first ever Coast-to-Coast Dinner. This interactive, four-course dinner with wine pairings will feature Hama Hama, from Washington State- repping the west coast- and Island Creek, from Massachusetts- repping the east coast- along with Chef Waldmeier’s signature Bookbinder soup. The dinner is priced at $89 per guest (exclusive of tax and gratuity) and starts at 6:30 p.m. Buy your tickets here.
- Sunday, Oct. 15: Grand Finale: Don’t miss the Grand Finale Party on Sunday, Oct. 15 from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. This special ticketed event ($70 exclusive of tax and gratuity) features an over-the-top offering of classic Oyster Festival dishes, wine and beer favorites, specialty cocktails, an Oyster Roast in the Oyster Hall of Fame Room, live music from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., and of course the oyster slurp-off finale! Tickets for the finale can be purchased here.
