Stranraer Oyster Festival 2023 sets the bar high
Organisers are already focussed on delivering another success next year
Organisers of Stranraer Oyster Festival say the annual event is here to stay, after welcoming a record crowd of over 20,000 to the town docks between Friday the 15th and Sunday the 17th of September.
The event was first born in response to the final ferry sailing from Stranraer, in a bid to regenerate the town and attract greater footfall.
Designed to celebrate and nurture the native Oysters of Loch Ryan, the festival saw more than a tonne of oysters enjoyed over the three days.
The shells have since been collected to be cleaned, weathered, and returned to Loch Ryan next summer to help the native oyster bed grow once again.
In addition to tasting Stranraer’s native oysters, a range of chef demonstrations, water sports activities and even an acrobatic aircraft display were on offer for visitors to enjoy.
An event to be proud of
Romano Petrucci is Chair of Stranraer Development Trust:
“Stranraer Oyster Festival has truly come of age. Each year we aim for bigger and better and we were hugely ambitious about what the 2023 festival could deliver for Stranraer, but the success of this year’s event has surpassed my wildest dreams.
“We now need to think very seriously about how we nurture and develop the potential of this festival, because what this weekend has shown us is that the potential is very considerable indeed.
“Stranraer Oyster Festival is a whole-community effort. This event is community-led regeneration in action and it has become a catalyst for the transformation of our town.
“Our festival shows what Stranraer can achieve when we work together as one. Each year you can feel the confidence and pride within our community rise higher and higher, it’s an absolute joy to experience.
“I’d like to express my most sincere thanks to everyone who contributed to the success of Stranraer Oyster Festival 2023. We can’t wait to do it all again next year!”
The dates for next year’s event have already been confirmed as Friday the 13th to Sunday the 15th of September 2024.
Organisers are encouraging those interested in travelling for the event to explore accommodation options early.