CHARLESTON, SC (Lowcountry Weekend) – If you love oysters, a series of events across the Lowcountry will help you celebrate it starting this Sunday.

Kevin Joseph, owner of downtown’s Raw Lab, founded Oyster Week in partnership with Toadfish Outfitters.

“An Oyster Week is a manifestation of our collective human history with the oyster, going back 150,000 years,” Joseph said. “It is a celebration of the oyster’s role in our history, culture, cuisine, economy and ecology: past, present and future.”

Tickets are on sale now at Charleston Oyster Week’s website.

Here are a list of scheduled events:

• Shellabration: Sunday from 3 pm to 7 pm at Bowen’s Island Restaurant. The official launch party with general admission of $100 and VIP admission at $150 for those 21 and older. The event features live music by the Old Soul Band, a live and silent auction and featuring oyster farms from across the Carolinas.
• OystoberFest – Nov. 11 from 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm at Private Estate in Mount Pleasant. Admission for adults is $150 and admission for children is $35, with a limit of 200 admissions being sold. Presented by Toadfish Outfitters, Charleston Oyster Tables, and Empire Oyster, this family-friendly event will feature live music and a DJ, a live and silent auction, and all-you-can-eat local and exotic oysters raw, roasted and grilled.
• ShuckEasy – Nov. 15 from 7 pm to 9 pm or from 9 pm to 11 pm at Raw Lab in the Historic French Quarter in downtown Charleston. Admission is $150 per guest, limited to 12 in each of two sessions. Presented by Empire Oyster Catering & Consulting, Marine Cuisine by Master Mermmelier Kevin Joseph, this event features wild and curated Carolina oyster pairings and spirited mixology.
• International Oyster Day – Nov. 18 from 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm at Wild Dunes Resort on the Isle of Palms, with general admission set at $100 and VIP admission at $250. As the official finale of Oyster Week, those 21 and older can enjoy live music, a raffle, silent auction and an oyster roast, raw bar, shucking lessons and top-shelf bars.

The events will raise money to benefit the Toadfish Conservation Coalition, a non-profit foundation of Toadfish Outfitters, that specializes in nationwide oyster restoration and conservation.

“We’re excited to be partnering with Kevin in creating Charleston’s first Oyster Week together,” Toadfish Outfitters founder Casey Davidson said. “Charleston Oyster Week gives us an opportunity to orchestrate an impactful community experience that

direct benefits the Lowcountry’s long-held shellfish industry and precious marine ecosystems.”

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