27 www.ReadMPM.com | www.MountPleasantMagazine.com | www.MountPleasantPodcast.com our town At the 42nd annual Lowcountry Oyster Festival, held at Boone Hall Plantation & Gardens on Feb. 1, guests of the world’s largest oyster festival will enjoy over 45,000 pounds of steamed oysters for purchase as well as oyster shucking and eating contests, wine, a selection of domestic and imported beers, specialty cocktails, a “Pluff-a-Palooza” children’s area and a food court showcasing a variety of local restaurants. Multiple live music acts will take the stage throughout the day, including event headliner The Yacht Club. “It’s an honor for the Charleston Restaurant Foundation to once again host this beloved event and a privilege to support the environment and the charitable organizations that make the Lowcountry so special,” said Charleston Restaurant Foundation President Johnathan Kish. Over the years, the festival has raised more than $1.5 million for local charities. As a result of the 2025 festival, $125,000 was donated to beneficiaries including Ronald McDonald House, MUSC Hollings Cancer Center, Coastal Conservation Association, Shriners Hospitals for Children, College of Charleston, Academic Magnet High School, Charleston County School of the Arts and the Culinary Institute of Charleston’s Kathy Britzius Memorial Scholarship. Additionally, festival organizers prioritize sustainability by working with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the Coastal Conservation Association of Charleston to recycle shells in local coastal waters, where they help rebuild fisheries and reefs, prevent soil erosion and mitigate flood risk. This summer, festival organizers joined representatives from Boone Hall Plantation & Gardens, Lowcountry Land Trust, SC DNR, the Coastal Conservation Association of Charleston and Mount Pleasant Waterworks to expand the commemorative oyster reef behind Boone Hall Plantation & Gardens using recycled shells from the annual festival. Originally established in 2024 on Horlbeck Creek, the reef honors the partnership between Willie McRae, the late owner of Boone Hall and Kathy Britzius, the late executive director of the Charleston Restaurant Association, which marked the inception of the worldrenowned festival more than four decades ago. The festival is a rain or shine event. No pets, coolers or outside food and beverages will be allowed. Oyster knives and gloves will be available for purchase. Boone Hall Plantation & Gardens is located at 1235 Long Point Road in Mount Pleasant. There are two entrances for the event: the main Boone Hall entrance off Long Point Road and the entrance off U.S. Highway 17. To buy tickets, visit lowcountryhospitalityassociation.com/ oyster-fest. BY SARAH ROSE Pluff-aPalooza Lowcountry Oyster Festival Photos by Charleston Restaurant Foundation.
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