Great entertainment and plenty of tasty oysters will be featured at the Pemaquid Oyster Festival Sun., Sept. 30 from noon to dusk at Schooner Landing in Damariscotta. The festival will also host educational exhibits that highlight Maine’s working waterfront and the variety of recreational and commercial activities that revolve around it.

The festival stage will provide entertainment throughout the day with a line-up of favorite local bands. Both the performance stage and the exhibit area are covered with a tent sponsored by Renys, so the Pemaquid Oyster Festival will go on rain or shine.

The rollicking fun starts with a well-loved local group, The Scotti River Trio, who will get the crowd moving with their rock and roll beat accented with original compositions.

They will be followed with the toe-tapping tunes of the Oystermen and their lively renditions of folk songs on their combination of traditional maritime instruments, including violins, an accordion, and a bass fiddle.

Next on stage will be the annual grant awards from the Edward A. Myers Marine Conservation Fund, which is the beneficiary of the Pemaquid Oyster Festival.

Following the grant awards will be the Maine Champion Oyster Shucking Contest, with a custom belt buckle and belt designed by Alan McKinnon of Narragansett Leathers in Damariscotta as the top prize. The winner of the Maine Champion Oyster Shucking Contest will be eligible to compete in the U.S. National Oyster Shucking Contest at the St. Mary’s County Oyster Festival in Maryland. The winner of that event is qualified to go to the World Oyster Opening Championship in Galway, Ireland, which is the most highly regarded oyster shucking contest in the world, where the winner is considered to be the international champion oyster shucker.

Once a new Maine Champion Oyster Shucker is announced, the music picks back up with the bluesy beat of the Eric Green Party, followed by long-time local favorites, the Boneheads.

One of the music traditions of the Pemaquid Oyster Festival is a closing jam session featuring a mix of the musicians who played on-stage during the event. This highlight offers the crowd a rare chance to see many of the area’s best musicians working together on the same stage.

Entry to the Pemaquid Oyster Festival is free of charge. Money raised through oyster, food and beverage sales during the festival goes to benefit the Edward A. Myers Marine Conservation Fund. The fund is named after Edward Myers, who pioneered aquaculture in the Damariscotta River. Expenses for the event are covered by sponsors so that all of the money raised goes directly to the Edward A. Myers Marine Conservation Fund.

This year those sponsors include Renys, Ames Supply, Mine Oyster, First Advisors, the Cheney Companies, DB&T, Colby & Gale, Mexicali Blues, Narragansett Leathers, Marshall Wharf Brewing Co., Waldo Stone Farm, Laura Cabot Catering, The Lincoln County News, Yankee Pride Transportation, Damariscotta River Cruises, PFG North Center, Eastern Traders, and Shuck Station.

Volunteers are still being sought to fill a variety of positions for the Pemaquid Oyster Festival. Some of the activities volunteers will be needed for include: stage management, festival set-up and take-down, oyster shucking, and general assistance on the food line.

For more information on volunteer work, please contact Greg Latimer at 207-380-9912 or greglatimer@yahoo.com.

The fun begins at noon on Sun., Sept. 30 and continues until dusk at Schooner Landing located at 40 Main Street, next to the Newcastle/Damariscotta Bridge in Damariscotta. From either north or southbound Route 1, exit in Damariscotta at Business Route 1. For additional directions, contact Schooner Landing at 207-563-7447.