Did you miss the festival? You can still order 2025 merchandise here.
Join us for the 69th Annual Urbanna Oyster Festival!
November 6-7, 2026

Now Accepting Entries for the Official Commemorative Urbanna Oyster Festival Poster

Entries are now open for the 2026 Urbanna Oyster Festival Poster Contest. As America
embarks on its 250th birthday this summer, we’ve aligned this year’s theme to compliment the
celebration:

Celebrating 250 Years
Urbanna and the Middle Peninsula are honorably part of the rich history of the state and country
and this year we look forward to celebrating 250 plus years of history through our poster
artwork. The early days of the town, the buildings, the artifacts and the people all tie into what
makes Urbanna so memorable. Entries should include a nod to Urbanna and signify the places
or moments that tie together patriotism and local pride. We look forward to seeing your unique
work!

Deadline for entries: June 15, 2026 with a winner announced by the end of the month.

Prize: $500 and your artwork used as the official 69th Annual Oyster Festival poster and on
official merchandise.

Guidelines for entry:
1. Artwork may be created by amateur or professional artist(s) of any age.
2. Ideal size of art should be 18” x 24” for printing purposes. All sizes will be accepted but
may need to be adapted for our purposes. Resolution for digital artwork must be at least
300 dpi.
3. The Urbanna Oyster Festival reserves the right to modify the winning design in
accordance with the printing process. The UOF will consult with the artist about any
necessary modifications but will have final approval on any changes.
a. Printing adaptations potentially used for: brochure cover, merchandise, poster
4. Acceptable mediums: photography, oils, acrylics, watercolors, pastels or mixed mediums
(Remember: colors should be bright or dark enough to reproduce as a print).
5. The Oyster Festival Foundation or any member(s) of the Foundation are not responsible
for damage of the artwork and will not be held liable for any such damage.
6. The winning artwork becomes the sole property of the Urbanna Oyster Festival
Foundation, and cannot be reproduced, or made available for sale except by permission
of the Urbanna Oyster Festival Foundation.
7. Provide your name, mailing address, telephone number and a brief description of the
work with your entry.
8. The use of AI platforms to generate artwork is strictly prohibited. Questions about entries
may require a follow up with the artist for verification.

All digital entries should be emailed to oysterfestmarketing@gmail.com. Original artwork in
physical form (canvas, printed photos, etc.) should be delivered to the Urbanna Oyster Festival Foundation 51 Cross Street, Suite 200, Urbanna, VA 23175. Hand deliveries accepted Monday-Friday 9am-3pm. Please label with artist’s name and package entries safely and appropriately, the UOF Foundation will not guarantee against damage.

All physical entries should be picked up no later than August 1, 2026 at the Urbanna Oyster
Festival Foundation Office (804-758-2122). We cannot be responsible for any entries left after
September 19, 2026.

Disclaimer
By submitting artwork to the UOF post contest I acknowledge that:
● My artwork may be adjusted to best fit the printing process.
● The Urbanna Oyster Festival Foundation owns the rights to my artwork and I cannot
reproduce it for any other purpose. All promotion of the winning art must be done in
collaboration with the UOFF.
● The submitted artwork is original and made by me without the use of ai or copying of
any existing artwork done by other person(s).

(Note: If chosen, the physical art will need to be delivered to the Urbanna Oyster Festival Foundation office located at 390 Virginia St. Suite C, Urbanna, VA. 23175 (804-758-2122).

Examples of Posters from Years Past:

2024

2023

Oyster Festival Parade Entry Form

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.

Sponsor Interest Form

Partnerships with local and regional organizations allows The Urbanna Oyster Festival to continue to operate and present a weekend of entertainment to the 50,000 people that attend annually. This year we look forward to both celebrating our 69th anniversary and the 250th anniversary of the United States. We hope you’ll consider working together to bring this event to life on November 6-7, 2026. Sponsor package details are available for download, or by contacting the UOF office at 804-758-2122 or urbannaoysterfest@gmail.com. 

View & Download the Sponsorship Package

Vendor Interest Form

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.

Volunteer Interest Form

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!