Stranraer Oyster Festival drew crowds throughout the weekend with more than 26,000 people estimated to have visited the festival site to enjoy live music, local food and drink, children’s entertainment and oysters.
Romano Petrucci, Chair of Stranraer Development Trust, the community organisation that organises Stranraer Oyster Festival said:
“Without a doubt, this was our biggest and best Stranraer Oyster Festival yet. The changes we made to the festival infrastructure over the last year have played huge dividends, in creating a relaxed, enjoyable atmosphere that could comfortably accommodate thousands more people.
“Numbers are up right across the board, traders who had planned their stock on last year were selling out by mid afternoon on Saturday. In fact, such was the demand on Saturday that we ran out of entry wristbands at 3pm. Accommodation was sold out for miles around weeks in advance, and we have had wonderful feedback from local businesses. We are looking forward to seeing the results of the independent economic impact report which will paint an in-depth picture about the success of this festival.
“What we are confident about is that this is now one of Scotland’s most important food festivals and we are absolutely thrilled that it is showcasing our beautiful town to visitors and to the media. For Stranraer, the oyster festival has become like a second Christmas. Families come together, people who moved away from the area decades ago have a reason to return. It is a true homecoming weekend in every sense of the word. This is an event that celebrates our whole community and sees our whole community coming together. The number of local organisations and community groups who helped make the oyster festival the success it is, is staggering. The success of this weekend is something our whole community should be proud of.”
