The Party: Cloudy skies didn’t stop crowds from descending on Boone Hall Plantation Plantation & Gardens for the annual Lowcountry Oyster Festival, which serves up 45,000 pounds of bivalves each year. Said to be the largest event of its kind in the world, the festival showcased oyster-shucking and -eating contests, as well as live music from Radio Bomb, featuring members of Uncle Mingo and the Blue Dogs. Steamed oysters were available for purchase by the bucket, while landlubbers could choose from food-truck fare, ranging from cheeseburgers to donuts. Proceeds benefited multiple organizations, including the Coastal Conservation Association, which recycled the event’s shells.
Highlight: Noshing on unlimited steamed oysters and lunch from Hamby Catering in the VIP area
Overheard: “It was hardly a competition, she blew them out of the water!” —a guest impressed by pro oyster shucker Isabella Macbeth’s performance
Beneficiaries: The Culinary Institute of Charleston, Ronald McDonald House, MUSC Hollings Cancer Center, and others
