Everything you need to know about Oyster Bake
SAN ANTONIO - The Fiesta Oyster Bake is an annual festival that takes place right here in San Antonio on the St. Mary’s University campus. It typically occurs in the second or third weekend of April – this year it’s on April 21 and 22.
The event is a major fundraiser for St. Mary's University, and its proceeds support student scholarships and various academic and athletic programs.
The Oyster Bake offers a wide variety of food, drinks, and entertainment for attendees. As the name suggests, oysters are a featured dish, with multiple vendors offering them in various styles, including raw, grilled, and fried.
“We usually have 100,000 oysters out here, so there'll be plenty for everyone to enjoy,” explained Oyster Bake Chair Cynthia Pena. “New this year is that we are having a new food item, which is cheesecake, but everything else will be the same, especially our chicken on a stick that we are very famous for.”
Other food options include traditional Tex-Mex dishes, barbecue, funnel cakes, and more. There are also beer and margarita gardens where attendees can enjoy refreshing drinks.
The festival also features multiple stages where local and national musicians perform throughout the day and into the night. The music lineup typically includes a mix of genres, such as country, rock, Tejano and hip-hop.
“We have some great headliners this year in. We have the Spazmatics, Color Me Bad, Shane Smith and the Saints, Pat Green, David Lee Garza and Everclear. We've got a lot more bands that will be coming out also all throughout the day. And our music starts at 6:00 on Friday and around 2:00 on Saturday.”
In addition to the food and music, the Fiesta Oyster Bake offers a carnival with rides and games, a marketplace with arts and crafts vendors, and multiple areas for families and children to enjoy. The event draws thousands of visitors every year, and it has become a beloved tradition for many locals and visitors to San Antonio.
Over the years, the Fiesta Oyster Bake has grown in size and popularity.
“This is our 107th year for Oyster Bake,” said Pena. It started with the Marianist Brothers who started it years ago, and we've kept the tradition up. It's evolved into this big Fiesta event.”
In recent years, it has attracted over 70,000 attendees and raised over $500,000 for St. Mary's University.
“We normally have about 7,000 volunteers at our event,” said Pena. “It is 100% volunteer run. So we are very grateful for all of our volunteers that do come out and assist us.”
The Fiesta Oyster Bake is a family-friendly event, with designated areas for children's activities and rides.
“Parking is limited out here so that we ask that you go ahead and do the park and ride. When you do do park and ride, you'll also receive a coupon for a free water or free soda,” said Pena.
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