Eat some oysters to help save the bay July 16 at the Bivalve Bash. Taylor Shellfish is in the final throes of preparation for this annual fest honoring the oyster. "The idea is to have some summer fun on the beach while raising awareness of water quality issues," says Taylor Shellfish Farms President Bill Taylor.
The Bivalve Bash is held near Bellingham in the midst of the stunning Chuckanut Drive at the Taylor Shellfish Samish Farm in Bow and benefits the Skagit Conservation Education Alliance’s clean water education programs. The bash boasts a mud run, an oyster shucking competition, the world’s only oyster shell sculpture contest and plenty of family-friendly events throughout the day.
Show your athletic prowess in the low tide Mud Run, 50-yards for adults and a 100-yard race for kids. It’s said that this unusual foot race may be the toughest yard for yard in the Northwest. Volunteers duck tape shoes to adventurous runners’ feet and hose ‘em down after the race. It is not unusual to see otherwise experienced runners being rescued from the mud after the race before the tide comes in. And after runners have worked off a few calories they’ll be plenty of opportunity to pack them on.
Eat ‘em
The Bivalve Bash fare is worth the short trip north. You’ll find a generous fresh and barbequed oyster bar, salmon barbecued by the Samish Nation, and a variety of steamed and curried clams and mussels. Other summer favorites like grilled corn on the cob and raspberry shortcake round out the meal and can be paired with award winning wines and brews by La Conner Brewing Company.
Shuck ‘em
If you’re the kind of Pacific Northwesterner who serves oysters at parties or volunteers to shuck ‘em when you’re at the neighborhood barbeque then the amateur oyster shucking competition was built for you. BYOK or use the shucking knives and gloves provided at the competition. Either way you’ll be eligible to be crowned a champ! Who knows, maybe you’ll have an opportunity to go head to head with Seattle Times food writer Nancy Leson who has participated in the past.
Sculpt ‘em
The Bivalve Bash activities kick off at 10AM with The World's Only Oyster Shell Sculpture Contest. Fifteen oyster shell sculpting teams made up of up to three individuals fill the beach working with shells provided on site for just over 3 hours to create sculptural forms within the boundary of 32 foot long piece of rope.
Judges award cash prizes of up to $500 based on artistic merit and which team of artists best use the oyster shell’s intrinsic characteristics to express the spirit of the Bivalve Bash. Past contestants include local ceramic artist and Top Chef Contestant Robin Leventhal and word on the street is that you might find Hanna Raskin, the new food critic at the Seattle Weekly on the beach surrounded by a mound of shells this year.
If you have the extra time, the Bow Edison area also boasts a variety of splendid dairies, berry farms, restaurants and bakeries.
For detailed information go to bivalvebash.com.
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