Thousands attend Bay’s seafood festival

APOLLO Bay Seafood Festival organisers says this year’s festival was “the biggest event in Colac Otway Shire history”, drawing more than 6,000 people

The festival began with sold-out sold-out restaurant functions on Friday, while big crowds packed out Apollo Bay Harbour on Saturday for seafood, live entertainment and great weather.

 

 

 

Apollo Bay Seafood Festival coordinator Liz Waters said the event exceeded organisers’ expectations.

“It was a terrific weekend and has gone down numbers wise as the biggest event in the Colac Otway Shire’s history which is amazing,” Waters said.

“The weather gods smiled down on us, 90 per cent of our vendors sold out and we sold 800 oysters and over 1000 lobsters which is just crazy.

“We had a great variety of demonstrations from our local chefs and also one from Melbourne chef Paul West who danced around in his boardshorts and snorkels before delivering an octopus masterclass.

“The kids also had an absolute ball at the event thanks to the Kids Zone, with gardens, jumping castles and hula hooping making for plenty of fun for the youngsters.

“We are just rapt with how it went and hope the event can get to these heights again in 2024.”

 

 

The event featured a range of guest speakers who covered topics including ocean conservation at the Conversations on the Edge seminar at the Apollo Bay SLSC.

The seminar’s guest panel of local environmentalists and chefs spoke at length about the measures that can be put in place to protect and conserve the ocean and its marine life for future generations.

The delicacies were served with the beautiful ocean as the backdrop.