2026 Chincoteague Seafood Festival
Schedule
Sat May 02 2026 at 10:00 am to 04:00 pm
UTC-04:00Location
Tom's Cove Park | Chincoteague Island, VA
About this Event
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, single fried oysters, fried fish, crab cheddar jalapeno poppers, 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 cash purchase.
Island Boy, who has been rocking the tunes at the Chincoteague Oyster Festival for 30 years, will provide live entertainment for everyone's listening and dancing enjoyment.
Shop to your hearts content in the Arts and Crafts Corral 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 merchandise available for purchase including t-shirts, hats, souvenir food trays, and glass beer mugs.
Tickets are $65 per person (Children under 5 are FREE)
Early Access Passes: $200 for two people to access the festival grounds as early as 9am for early setup. Early access passes are add-ons. Regulars tickets must be purchased as well.
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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!
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FESTIVAL TIMELINE:10:00 am - Gates open
NO EARLY ENTRY FOR SETUP Items set up prior to 10am will be removed11:00 am - Appetizer tents begin serving
Clam Chowder, Salad Bar, Boardwalk and Sweet Potato Fries, Hushpuppies, Cornbread, Grilled Chicken12:00 pm – Seafood tents begins serving
Raw Oysters & Clams, “Little Neck” Steamed Clams, Single Fried Oysters, Fried Fish, Steamed Shrimp, Clam Fritters, Crab Jalapeno Cheddar PoppersLive music begins4:00 pm – Festival ends6:00 pm – Festival Grounds clear of all attendees and volunteers - Due to insurance liability purposes
RULES & REGULATIONS:
· Wear Your Wristband
o All attendees must have a festival wristband prior to entrance to festival grounds.
o E-tickets must be scanned either by scanners at the entrance of Toms Cove Park or at the Will Call tent to acquire festival wristband.
· Entering & Exiting
o Attendees can come and go to the festival grounds from 10am – noon.
o After Noon you will not be permitted to re-enter the festival grounds, wristbands will be cut as you exit.
· Bring ID
o All attendees age 21 and over MUST provide a photo ID at the beer tent to purchase beer. No exceptions!
· Do Not Remove Food from the Festival!
o Eat all you want, but do not remove food from the festival grounds.
o All coolers and bags are subject to search by festival staff and volunteers.
· Prohibited on the Festival Grounds
o Pets
o Vehicles of ANY kind – including golf cart, one wheels, scooters, and bicycles
o Fire pits/rings
HELPFUL HINTS: Make Your Festival Experience More Enjoyable
Getting to the Festival:
· Location: Tom's Cove Park, 8128 Beebe Road, Chincoteague Island, VA 23336.
· Parking is limited and is available on a first come/first serve basis.
o Vehicles will not be admitted to the campground until 8:00a.m.
o Do not park anywhere unless instructed by a parking volunteer.
o Handicap parking and courtesy shuttle are available at the festival grounds.
· FREE Pony Express Trolley provided by the Chamber and the Town of Chincoteague from 9AM to 5PM!
o The trolley will run the GREEN and RED routes on festival day at approximate 30 min intervals.
oAdditional stop at the Chincoteague Combined School, 4586 Main Street, for day trippers. Once parked at the school, call 757-854-8575 for the dispatcher.
o The trolley is handicap accessible.
o After 5pm the charge is $0.50/person and pick up will be at the trolley hut at the entrance of Tom's Cove Park.
o Scan the QR for detailed Trolley information or visit chincoteaguechamber.com/trolley-schedule/
· Walking or biking is also encouraged!
What should I bring?
· Bring Cash - Beer tent, Extravaganza, and desserts only accept cash
· Bring Your Own Tables and Chairs - There are a limited number of picnic tables available. You may wish to bring your own folding tables, chairs, blankets, etc.
How does the “All You Can Eat” work?
· Food Booths - Each booth is marked with a banner noting which item it will serve.
· Expect Lines – Lines begin to form prior to service start. Please be patient as we prepare all the food onsite as fast as possible.
· Food Availability – Despite our best efforts to provide enough of each food item, we cannot guarantee that each item will be available until 4pm.
· Two Servings Per Trip, Per Person - To alleviate wait times, and give everyone an opportunity to get some of each item.
· Additional Servings - You may go back to each booth as many times as you want!
Are there beverages?
· Water & Soda are included in the ticket price
· Beer will be sold separately with photo ID, cash only
Is there Merchandise for sale?
· Souvenir Trays will be on sale at the Beer tent. These are great to assist you in carrying your food.
· Souvenir Mugs will be sold at the Merchandise and Beer tents.
· Souvenir Apparel (t-shirts and hats) will be sold at the Merchandise tent.
· Merchandise may be available one week prior to festival in the Chamber Office.
· Merchandise items sell out quickly. We recommend making your purchases early.
· We accept all major credit cards in the office and on festival day for merchandise.
What Else Should I Know?
· Help us recycle! Shell and can recycling are available during the festival.
· Extravaganza of Prizes Raffle tickets will be available to festival ticket holders on festival day. The winner is announced at 4pm at the band stand and will receive thousands of dollars in merchandise and certificates. You do not need to be present to win. Cash only.
Plan Your Visit at ChincoteagueChamber.com
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!
Where is it happening?
Tom's Cove Park, 8128 Beebe Road, Chincoteague Island, United StatesEvent Location & Nearby Stays:
USD 71.21 to USD 215.26
