Chincoteague Events

Update – February 16, 2021 – Due to ongoing coronavirus concerns and current state gathering guidelines, the 2021 Chincoteague Seafood Festival scheduled for May 1, 2021 at Tom’s Cove Park has been cancelled. 

PLEASE NOTE: The Chincoteague Chamber Board of Directors has also made the following refund decisions:

Ticket holders that purchased 2020 Chincoteague Seafood Festival or 2020 Chincoteague Oyster Festival tickets that have been transferred to the 2021 Chincoteague Seafood Festival:

1. Transfer tickets to the Chincoteague Oyster Festival scheduled for October 9, 2021

2. Transfer tickets to the Chincoteague Seafood Festival scheduled for May 7, 2022

3. 100% refund of tickets purchased (per the refund policy in effect for those events)

     a. Tickets purchased in the chamber office or over the phone will be refunded by check or credit card at $45 per ticket

     b. Tickets purchased through Eventbrite will be refunded back to the credit card used at time of purchase through Eventbrite at $49.37; full ticket amount + processing fees

Ticket holders that purchased 2021 Chincoteague Seafood Festival ticket (not transfers):

1. Transfer tickets to the Chincoteague Oyster Festival scheduled for October 9, 2021

2. Transfer tickets to the Chincoteague Seafood Festival scheduled for May 7, 2022

3. 80% refund of tickets purchased (per current refund policy)

     a. Tickets purchased in the chamber office or over the phone will be refunded by check or credit card at $40 per ticket.

     b. Tickets purchased through Eventbrite will be refunded back to the credit card used at time of purchase through Eventbrite at $44.67; 80% of ticket amount + processing fees.

All ticket holders

1. If you purchased tickets for several people/families, we can transfer some tickets and refund others. Just let us know.

2. Notifications stating desire for refund of tickets purchased will only be accepted for 60 days after this announcement (until April 16, 2021). All notifications received after that time will result in a ticket transfer to a future festival only. This announcement has been emailed to all ticket holders at their last known email address and posted on Eventbrite, ChincoteagueChamber.com’s Seafood Festival directory and event pages and Chamber Facebook and Seafood Festival event pages.

3. All ticket holders MUST email joanne@chincoteaguechamber.com or call 757-336-6161 to notify us of your refund wishes. REFUNDS WILL NOT BE MADE AUTOMATICALLY. We need to know which option you choose and if the credit card you used at the time of purchase has changed.

Refunds will be made as quickly as possible but we ask for your patience. Once your refund is processed, it will take several days for the credit to appear on your credit card statement.

STAY TUNED!!

The Chincoteague Chamber of Commerce will be hosting an ‘Around the Tump in 3 Days’’ event on April 30 – May 2, 2021 showcasing participating hotels, eateries, shops and more! Details will be coming soon, so check our Facebook and ChincoteagueChamber.com Events page for more details! T-shirts, festival trays and an Extravaganza Silent Auction too! Chincoteague Island welcomes your visit, so don’t cancel your reservations! Enjoy this three day event and all that beautiful Chincoteague and Assateague Islands have to offer!

______________________________

The Chincoteague Seafood Festival is held the first Saturday in May to promote the seafood industry on Virginia’s Eastern Shore. The festival offers fresh, local seafood and will include exciting offerings and signature dishes from local restaurants as well as old and new Eastern Shore favorites prepared by famous festival cooks, volunteers, and professionals.  Indulge on little neck clams, a long-time festival staple, along with raw oysters and clams, clam fritters and strips, single fried oysters, fried fish, steamed shrimp, clam chowder, salad bar, grilled chicken, sweet potato fries, Boardwalk fries, hushpuppies, and cornbread.  Non-alcoholic beverages are included in the ticket price with beer available for purchase. 

Front Page News will provide live entertainment for everyone’s listening and dancing enjoyment.

Shop to your hearts content in the Arts and Crafts tent featuring handmade creations from area artisans. 

An Extravaganza Raffle is held with the winner receiving t-shirts, tickets, trays, lodging, gift certificates for meals, and much more for the following year’s festival. 

There will also be a variety of souvenirs available for purchase. 

52nd Annual Chincoteague Seafood Festival
An Eastern Shore Tradition Since 1968 

Saturday May 1, 2021
10:00 am to 4:00 pm

Tom’s Cove Park
8128 Beebe Road, Chincoteague, VA  23336
Locate the Festival on Google Maps
 

Tickets are $50 per person (Children under 5 are FREE)

REFUND POLICY – Event is held rain or shine. Every attempt will be made to have the festival on the date and time advertised, however circumstances beyond the Chamber’s control may require rescheduling or delay. All sales are final in case of ticketholder cancellation or organizer postponement. If the event is cancelled by the organizer or due to circumstances beyond our control, tickets may be transferred to a future festival or refunded at 80% within 60 days of cancellation. After that time, only ticket transfers to future festivals will be honored.

Tickets are limited, so order early!!! This is a sell out event!

10:00 am – Gates open (NO EARLY ENTRY FOR SETUP) Any items set up prior to 10am on festival day are subject to removal.

11:00 am – Appetizer tents begin serving – Clam Chowder, Salad Bar, Boardwalk Fries, Sweet Potato Fries, Hushpuppies, Cornbread, Grilled Chicken

12:00 pm – Seafood tents begins serving – Raw Oysters & Clams, “Little Neck” Steamed Clams, Single Fried Oysters, Fried Fish, Steamed Shrimp, Clam Fritters, Clam Strips
                   Live music begins with Front Page News

4:00 pm – Festival ends

6:00 pm – Due to insurance liability purposes, all attendees and volunteers must exit the festival grounds

PLEASE NOTE:

All e-tickets must be scanned either by our volunteer scanners at the entrance of Toms Cove Park or at the Will Call tent to acquire festival wristband.

All attendees must have a festival wristband prior to entrance to festival grounds.

Attendees can come and go to the festival grounds from 10am – noon.

No re-entry to festival grounds after noon. Upon leaving festival grounds, wristbands will be cut.

All attendees age 21 and over MUST provide a photo ID at the beer tent in order to purchase beer. No exceptions!

Beer tent and some Arts & Crafts vendors only accept cash, so please come prepared!

Due to the popularity of the seafood we offer, we cannot guarantee that each item will be available up until 4pm.

Eat all you want, but please do not remove food from the festival grounds.

No pets, vehicles, golf carts, one wheels, bicycles or fire pits/rings are permitted inside the festival grounds for safety purposes.

LEARN MORE:

Festival Helpful Hints
Directions & Parking
Extravaganza of Prizes Raffle
Merchandise (Festival Merchandise with arrive approx. one week before the festival)

UPON PURCHASE OF TICKET(S), YOU UNDERSTAND AND AGREE TO ALL THE ABOVE MENTIONED TERMS AND CONDITIONS.

We thank you for cooperation in making this a wonderful festival! See you on festival day!

Tickets are no longer being sold in outlets. Tickets can be purchased by clicking the ‘BUY NOW’ button, calling 757-336-6161 or stopping by the Chamber office, 6733 Maddox Boulevard, Chincoteague.

Wednesday July 28, 2021

At “slack tide” (time to be announced at a later date by Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company), the Chincoteague Ponies will swim across the Assateague Channel just south of Memorial Park (7427 Memorial Park Drive, Chincoteague Island, VA 23336) on the east side of Chincoteague Island. There is no charge by the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company for parking or seeing the ponies swim. The ONLY parking at Memorial Park, however, is designated for tour buses. All those seeking handicap parking and all day-trippers are encouraged to go to Municipal Center (6150 Community Drive, Chincoteague Island, VA 23336) and catch the free shuttle. There will be a handicap accessible bus for your convenience. Those staying on the island may catch a shuttle bus near their lodging.

The first foal to come ashore will be named King or Queen Neptune and will be given away in a raffle drawing at the carnival grounds later in the day (time to be announced). Tickets are sold each night at the carnival and amongst the crowd while waiting for the swim to occur. You must have a ticket and you must be present to win.

After swimming the short distance across the channel, the ponies will rest for approximately 45 minutes to an hour before “parading” to the carnival grounds on Main Street. See shuttle bus map below for parade route.

The carnival will open at 7:00 p.m. with rides, games, and lots of good food.

Note: Pets are not permitted in Memorial Park or the Carnival Grounds.
Coast Guard on Alert for Illegal Charter Boats During Chincoteague Pony Swim
(The Coast Guard is cautioning tourists attending the pony swim to avoid boats that do not have licensed captains, and in some cases have not been inspected by the Coast Guard.)

7:00 p.m. – Carnival attractions.

Click here for detailed Pony Swim shuttle map.

The Chincoteague Oyster Festival is held to promote the seafood industry and mark the arrival of the oyster season. Come and enjoy oysters—raw, steamed, fritters, and single fried; clam fritters, clam chowder, shrimp cocktail, salad bar, hot dogs, hush puppies, and Boardwalk fries. Beverages are included in the ticket price with beer available for purchase. Island Boy, a festival favorite for over 25 years, will provide live entertainment for everyone’s enjoyment.  An Extravaganza Raffle is held with the winner receiving t-shirts, tickets, lodging, gift certificates for meals, and much more for the following year’s festival.  A favorite at the festival is the “Best Place/Space Award” which is given to the best decorated area.  There will also be a variety of souvenirs available for purchase.  This is an advance ticketed event that is typically sold out before festival day.  

48th Annual Chincoteague Oyster Festival
CELEBRATING CHINCOTEAGUE ‘SALTS’ & THE BEGINNING OF OYSTER SEASON

October 9, 2021
10:00 am to 4:00 pm

Tom’s Cove Park
8128 Beebe Road, Chincoteague, VA  23336
Locate the Festival on Google Maps

Tickets are $50 per person (Children under 5 are FREE)

REFUND POLICY – Event is held rain or shine. Every attempt will be made to have the festival on the date and time advertised, however circumstances beyond the Chamber’s control may require rescheduling or delay. All sales are final in case of ticketholder cancellation or organizer postponement. If the event is cancelled by the organizer or due to circumstances beyond our control, tickets may be transferred to a future festival or refunded at 80% within 60 days of cancellation. After that time, only ticket transfers to future festivals will be honored.

Tickets are limited, so order early!!! This is a sell out event!

10:00 am – Gates open (NO EARLY ENTRY FOR SETUP) Any items set up prior to 10am on festival day are subject to removal.

11:00 am – Appetizer tents begin serving – Clam Chowder, Shrimp Cocktail, Salad Bar, Boardwalk Fries, Hushpuppies, Hot Dogs

12:00 pm – Seafood tents begins serving – Raw Oysters, Steamed Oysters, Single Fried Oysters, Oyster Fritters, Clam Fritters
                   Live music begins with Island Boy

4:00 pm – Festival ends

6:00 pm – Due to insurance liability purposes, all attendees and volunteers must exit the festival grounds

PLEASE NOTE:

All e-tickets must be scanned either by our volunteer scanners at the entrance of Toms Cove Park or at the Will Call tent to acquire festival wristband.

All attendees must have a festival wristband prior to entrance to festival grounds.

Attendees can come and go to the festival grounds from 10am – noon.

No re-entry to festival grounds after noon. Upon leaving festival grounds, wristbands will be cut.

All attendees age 21 and over MUST provide a photo ID at the beer tent in order to purchase beer. No exceptions!

Beer tent and some Arts & Crafts vendors only accept cash, so please come prepared!

Due to the popularity of the seafood we offer, we cannot guarantee that each item will be available up until 4pm.

Eat all you want, but please do not remove food from the festival grounds.

No pets, vehicles, golf carts, one wheels, bicycles or fire pits/rings are permitted inside the festival grounds for safety purposes.

LEARN MORE:

HELPFUL HINTS      |      DIRECTIONS & PARKING      |      EXTRAVAGANZA OF PRIZES RAFFLE & BEST SPACE      |      MERCHANDISE (Arrives approx. one week before festival)

UPON PURCHASE OF TICKET(S), YOU UNDERSTAND AND AGREE TO ALL THE ABOVE MENTIONED TERMS AND CONDITIONS.

We thank you for cooperation in making this a wonderful festival! See you on festival day!

Tickets are no longer being sold in outlets. Tickets can be purchased by clicking the ‘BUY NOW’ button, calling 757-336-6161 or stopping by the Chamber office, 6733 Maddox Boulevard, Chincoteague.