Canada’s largest shellfish festival, the Prince Edward Island International Shellfish Festival, will be back bigger and better than ever Sept. 14 to 17 in downtown Charlottetown.
Food Network Canada’s celebrity Chef Lynn Crawford will return to host the weekend celebrations. Lynn will be on the shellfish main stage with culinary demonstrations daily Friday through Sunday and available throughout the weekend for photo ops and cookbook signings.
Food Network Canada’s Chef Chuck Hughes will host the kick-off signature event, Feast & Frolic on Sept. 14.
Canada’s Food Island will also host 12 Canadian chefs competing in the Garland Canada International Chef Challenge for a $10,000 cash prize.
Restaurants Canada will present the P.E.I. Shellfish Excellence Award again this year. The winning restaurants will be recognized for their exceptional promotion of local seafood, demonstrating superior shellfish quality standards, offering an assortment of local shellfish and promoting P.E.I. shellfish choices to its community and customers.
More than $26,000 dollars in cash prizes are handed out during live competitions in the Festival tent, including the P.E.I. Potato Chowder Championship, Shiny Sea P.E.I. Oyster Shucking Championship, Raspberry Point International Oyster Shucking Championship, Mott’s Best Caesar In Town Competition and Tie One On Mussel Competition.
The P.E.I. International Shellfish Festival is a joint effort of the P.E.I. Aquaculture Association and the P.E.I. Shellfish Association. It started in 1996 as a one-day event and last year more than 11,000 people attended.