Wellfleet OysterFest is this weekend: Oct. 15-17th, 2010. If you’re any kind of oyster aficionado, this is a must-do event. Wellfleet oysters are world famous. This year at OysterFest there will be a shucking contest, arts & crafts, demonstrations of how to shuck oysters and other cooking lessons, historical exhibits, a boat tour, an auction, bluegrass music, tasting oysters from different parts of Wellfleet, children’s entertainment, a spelling bee with prizes, a nature walk over Uncle Tim’s bridge, and more. Enter the oyster shuck-off  and you can win the $1,000 cash prize.

About Wellfleet OysterFest

A Band Playing on Stage at OysterFest in Wellfleet

The Wellfleet Oyster Festival, usually called OysterFest, is a celebration of the oysters that help make Wellfleet famous. Entry is free. It always takes place in October, the weekend after Columbus Day. It lasts for two days: Saturday and Sunday. The tradition started in 2001 and goes on even if it rains.

Visitors head to the town center. The streets are alive with activities, food, live music, and merchants. There are plenty of things for kids to do, such as pumpkin decorating, jewelry making, and arts and crafts. Be warned– it can get pretty crowded!

In addition to the oyster-shucking race, there are other competitions, such as a running race. OysterFest often features educational speakers at the Town Library. Each year is a little different. The OysterFest schedule of events is online.

Wellfleet is a great place to enjoy not only oysters, but also clams and other shellfish.

Read about how to eat oysters.

Accomodations

Visitors can rent a vacation home for just OysterFest weekend. Wellfleet has a large number of homes available for rent. These homes are usually rented for weeks at a time in the summer, but the owners will usually offer them for weekends in the off-season. However, keep in mind when searching and inquiring about homes that OysterFest is a high-demand weekend in Wellfleet.

About Wellfleet

Wellfleet is situated near the tip of Cape Cod, next to Provincetown. It’s 100 miles from Boston. Wellfleet is an old fishing and whaling village with authentic charm. It has a cute town center with small shops and at least a dozen art galleries.  It also has live theater.

There’s nothing worse than showing up to the vacation rental home you rented for the week, throwing your suitcase on the bed, and realizing that something about the house is not as you expected. Maybe the house has no TV or no washing machine, or isn’t near the beach. That’s why it’s important to pay close attention to information in the listing description. Here are 5 important things to look for:

Vacation Home in Chatham, MA on Cape Cod

1. Proximity to water. This is especially important to beach junkies. Is the home literally on the water or is it a short walk? Do you have to drive? It can sometimes help to become familiar with the area you’re looking to stay in. In towns such as Wellfleet (on Cape Cod), every vacation rental is reasonably close to a beach. This is a function of Wellfleet being a small town on the Outer Cape.    

2. Internet access. A good vacation rental directory will tell you whether the house in question has internet access. The owner may even specify the nature of the internet access, be it broadband, dial-up, or wireless. If the home doesn’t have internet access, it might be a good idea to look for nearby spots that have internet access, such as libraries or cafes, if not another house.
3. Pets. Many vacation home owners don’t allow pets. There’s usually a section on the listing that says whether or not pets such as dogs are allowed. If not, you can ask.
4. Appliances. Were you planning on grinding your own coffee beans in the morning? You’ll be disappointed if you find out that the home you chose doesn’t have a coffee grinder. Vacation rental directories give homeowners checkboxes to communicate which appliances are sitting in their kitchen.
5. Accessibility. If you need handicap access, you should confirm that the house has it right off the bat. Do you have an elderly member of the group who might have a hard time getting up and down long flights of stairs? If the information isn’t posted on the listing, you can inquire with the owner.

These are some of things to look for as you search for your perfect summer vacation rental. The internet has made things much easier, and finding a cottage to stay in is now just a few clicks away. If you find that the home you were interested in has no more available weeks this summer, try asking about off-season weeks or weekends. You may find that the homeowner will rent off-season weeks or days at a reduced rate.