I’ve been meaning to do this for years.
I love seafood and I love wine. So why it took me this long to attend this yearly event, now in this 37th year, I’ll never know. But this year, I made it.
It was a gorgeous spring day and we arrived an hour early to find a line of cars already waiting to get into the adjacent parking lot. The entire event is run by friendly and helpful volunteers, and the parking attendants were especially friendly. We got a map of the event to study as we were waiting.
So Many (Wine) Choices
As soon as we walked in, the event’s sponsor, Fred Meyer (a regional grocery and retail store) had a large booth set up with fresh seafood for sale.
The main convention hall was filled with mostly winery booths and locally produced merchandise, such as apparel and glassware. I purchased a wine glass with a hand-painted purple crab on it (my astrological sign is Cancer, so it was especially fitting.) I had a lovely conversation with the retired lady who explained how she painstakingly hand-painted each and every one of the many dozens of gorgeous glasses on display.
Vineyards from all over Oregon and Washington had booths set up. You had to be choosy about which ones to sample, or have your money spent very quickly! We opted for a booth that also sold mimosas and sangria. For some reason, we just weren’t into drinking wine that day! There were also some candle, soap and cheese/snack booths, all from local vendors.
On either end of the main convention hall were the food/entertainment spaces. We went to one end, with a string of food stalls, selling a variety of freshly-cooked food. Everything from corn dogs, to hamburgers to seafood tacos. We visited two of them and had a really fancy crab rangoon and oyster chowder. Beyond that, a large seating area and a stage with live music.
After our seafood snack, we meandered over to the other side, with more food and another entertainment state set up. This one had just a couple of craft vendors, but the big draw was the full seafood dinner. It was very much picnic style, where you could buy a half crab or whole crab dinner, with coleslaw, potato salad, and a bread roll.
There was also a beer garden here. We split a whole crab dinner, grabbed a couple of beers, then went out into the sunshine where they had some tables set up. We took our time eating and enjoying the sunshine. After that, we made a final sweep of the main hall just to make sure we hadn’t missed anything, then called it a day.
So what did I think of the Astoria Seafood & Wine Festival?
It was okay.
Don’t get me wrong! My husband and I had a fabulous time. Being a genuine seafood lover, I suppose I expected more of a variety of seafood options than what was actually offered. It seemed like a solid half of the food vendors sold only non-seafood fare. That’s great for those who were just there for the wine, but I would’ve liked to have seen more options from ocean variety.
Things to Consider
- You cannot buy tickets online ahead of time. Tickets are only sold at the door (cash or credit card only) It is about USD15 on Friday/Saturday, and Sunday they usually drop the price down to USD10.
- Parking in the adjacent lot is USD15. During peak times the lot gets full and that’s when the shuttle kicks in. There are designated places to park (which are usually free) in Astoria where the shuttle picks you up. It costs a couple of bucks each way. Bring cash for that.
- Once you get inside, individual vendors will set their own prices for wine tastings, food or merchandise. Most take debit/credit cards, but it’s a good idea to bring plenty of cash, just in case.
- The festival usually takes place over three days during a weekend in late April. You will only need one day to see and taste everything (that is, unless you WANT to spend more than one day there. Have at it.)
- Pets are NOT allowed.
- This is a family-friendly event, although selling alcohol to minors is strictly enforced.
- For More Info, go to Astoria Seafood & Wine Festival
