The eighth Annual Ocean State Oyster Festival is set for Saturday, Oct. 8 at River Walk Park, South Water Street, in Providence. It celebrates locally grown oysters and aquaculture in Rhode Island. The hours are 1 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Featured will be a selection of oyster farms, live music and craft beer and wine. There will also be food trucks outside by the boardwalk. 

The participating farms include Aquidneck Island Oyster Co., Bluff Hill Cove Oyster Farm, East Beach Blonde Oysters, Fox Island Oysters, Hope Island Oysters, Rocky Rhode Oysters, Quonset Point Oysters, Salt Pond Oysters, Sea Kist Oysters, Walrus & Carpenter Oysters and Watch Hill Oysters.

Also on site will be Hendrick's Gin Garden. The live stage will feature Bochek, Z-Boys, DJ Red Dawn and DJ Unkle Thirsty.

The food vendors include Sunset Farms, Shuckin' Truck and RaRa's Surf Shack.

Tickets cost $10 for admission on Eventbrite. Oyster and drink tickets are sold separately.

The event is rain or shine, dog friendly if leashed and children 12 years old and younger attend for free. It is for all ages but those expecting to drink alcohol should bring their IDs.

The Ocean State Oyster Festival collaborates with Nature Conservancy of R.I. to reclaim the event's discarded oyster shells, keeping them out of the landfill and adaptively up-cycling them for reef building.