Oyster Festival events program

Hannibal

Active Member
I got doop'd again. I took my wife/kids and parents there on Sunday. Weather was beautiful. I haven't been in may 7-8 years but went regularly before then. Anyhow, paid the $10/pp admission for the adults. Wasn't bad until I realized it essentially bought my nothing but access. I must be getting crotchety in my old age but damn, I'm not that old (not even 40 yet!).

We walked around the various craft tents/buildings and checked things out. There were a few good deals but I felt most things were priced very high. And honestly, realizing the money goes directly to the person selling, they can certainly charge what they want and I am generally fine with overpaying to support them. However, some of them had me controlling my face from contorting with a bit of shock.

After some looking around, we decided to go get some actual oysters. We headed over to the tent and found out a dozen were running $20! I can get most variety's of NICE/select oysters (Chincoteague, Blue Point, salt pond, etc.) at a restaurant for $1/each. I can buy them myself for a fraction of that even. I love oysters and again, don't mind paying for good food but I can't tolerate such an excessive price. Hell, a CUP of beer was $6 and up to $8. This is freaking St. Mary's County!

Hell, I had to pay $2/each per kid (x3) to let them have three turns on the inflatable bouncy house slide. That occupied them for 30 seconds.

So, in sense, even if I went by myself to "experience" the oysters, by the time I paid admission, ate JUST one dozen oysters, washed it down with a beer - I'd be out nearly $40! No offense to the local oyster population (as I am quite the fan), but that's a lot of money for some local, run of the mill, oysters. All in all - $40 in admission. We bought the kids knit hats ($25/each) = $75. Bought some clam strips/oyster stew/water = $18. And a few bucks on snow cones. So about $150 all said and done (my folks had something for lunch) and didn't touch the oysters.

I now recall saying last time we weren't coming back.

They ought to knock down prices on the oysters and beer/wine. Then bump up the prices on everything else. Let people come in for the oyster experience. Control the drinking of course and let the half tipsy people walk around and make poor decisions on their purchases.

They ought to
 
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