Join us for the 68th Annual Urbanna Oyster Festival!
November 7-8, 2025
Join us for the 68th Annual Urbanna Oyster Festival!
November 7-8, 2025
The Urbanna Oyster Festival is excited to announce a very special raffle this year—your chance to win a brand-new ICON Electric Bike, generously provided by Mike’s Custom Golf Cars. This state-of-the-art E-Bike, valued at $2,800, will be on display at the Oyster Festival Information Booth throughout the weekend. Raffle Details:
Col. (retired) A.B. Gravatt III of Urbanna and Lansdowne, in background, has been named grand marshal of the 2025 Urbanna Oyster Festival. (Photo by Larry Chowning) The Urbanna Oyster Festival Foundation has named Col. (retired) Arthur Broaddus (A.B.) Gravatt III of Urbanna grand marshal of the 2025 Urbanna Oyster Festival.
Local seniors and first graders spend the months leading up to the Festival completing service projects, attending group events and building relationships with one another. Friday at 4pm in the firehouse is the culmination of their program and we invite you to see who gets crowned as this year’s Queen
The Urbanna Oyster Festival Foundation has named Sarah Hammond Stokes, 86, of Urbanna as captain of the 2025 festival. A Middlesex County native, Stokes surprised a field of women oyster shuckers in 1983 at the Virginia oyster shucking contest in Urbanna, winning the female championship and earning a trip to
The official poster for the 68th Annual Urbanna Oyster Festival has been revealed, featuring the winning design by Charlie Small. Charlie’s work was inspired by vintage oyster can labels and WPA-style posters, reflecting this year’s theme, Urbanna Icons. The design showcases the entrance to Urbanna Creek with the red-roofed Urbanna
The Urbanna Oyster Festival has been named Best Festival in Eastern Virginia in Virginia Living’s 2025 Best of Virginia Readers’ Choice Awards. This is the fourth consecutive year the festival has received the top honor in the overall festival category, a testament to its lasting legacy and widespread appeal. Held
By filling out the form below you are expressing interest in participating in the Urbanna Oyster Festival Parade on the Saturday of Oyster Festival at 2:00PM. Upon approval, you will receive a detailed parade information packet in October. If you have any questions, please call the Festival office at 804-758-2122.
NO objects are to be thrown from any parade vehicle, floats or marchers. NO stopping along parade route. Air cannons, loud explosive devices and other objects are prohibited. Current political campaign candidates are NOT permitted in the parade or along the parade route, nor do we allow any political advertisements or promotional materials in the parade. Please Keep in Mind this is a Family-oriented event and parade. We are a Virginia Green Festival.
As we look forward to our 68th anniversary, November 7-8, 2025, we turn to you, our community partners, to help us put on one of the best Oyster Festivals yet. Year after year we are humbled by the commitment of our volunteers, our vendors, our advocates, and you, our sponsors. Your love for this little town, and this big Festival, make our jobs well worth it. To see our town full of excitement and pride each November brings us joy and gives us motivation to keep working toward the next one. Your monetary support allows us to do things like bring in well-known or locally-grown bands, look out for the wellbeing and safety of our attendees, and put on events like the Antique Car Show and Saturday’s Oyster Festival Parade. It ensures our local schools and visitors alike are exposed to the importance of oysters and water-restoration to the local economy. It means high school seniors have financial support in pursuing higher education.
From the mission of the Urbanna Oyster Festival Foundation, partnering with us means you are aligned with:
• Providing cultural, educational and recreational events for the enjoyment of the community
• Provide leadership, education and training for festivals, event leaders and volunteers
• Promote an appreciation of the history, maritime tradition, and the seafood industry
• Provide a venue for fundraising for civic and non-profit organizations
• Encourage the participation of artists, writers, and craftsmen in festivals and other events
• Encourage involvement of educational organizations and other non-profit groups
• Enhance the quality of life of the local economy and promote visitation and economic development
We appreciate your consideration in partnering with the Urbanna Oyster Festival for our 68th anniversary. To ensure you get the most out of your sponsorship we would like to secure your placement by August 31, 2025.
Thank you to everyone who submitted a vendor application for this year’s festival! We are now at full capacity and are no longer accepting new vendor applications for 2025. We encourage you to check back next year for information on becoming a vendor at the Urbanna Oyster Festival.
By filling out the form below you are expressing interest in participating in the Urbanna Oyster Festival as a vendor. You may be contacted by the Urbanna Oyster Festival office with any additional questions and next steps. If you prefer to contact us directly, you may call 804-758-2122 or email at oysterfestival@va.metrocast.net.
**Please note this form is not a formal application and you are not guaranteed placement until contacted and confirmed by the Urbanna Oyster Festival.
The Urbanna Oyster Festival would be nothing without our volunteers and festival support, and we need your help this year more than ever! We invite you to become a festival at the Urbanna Oyster Festival!