Knowing what to expect and being prepared will make all the difference when you attend the Newport Seafood & Wine Festival.
A few years ago while attending a casual dinner gathering of Portland food and wine bloggers in Portland, I happen to mention that I had just returned from a weekend at the coast.
Me: “Guess what I just did last weekend, guys!?! (Everyone looks at me expectantly.) “I went to the Newport Seafood & Wine Festival. For the first time.”
Group: [Collective low-key head shaking] “Why, Renée? What were you thinking?!?”
Me: “I know. I should have known. I really should have known.”
Group: [Knowing chuckles and nodding.]
Me: “It was a total frat party.”
Group: “Accurate. It’s a lot better if you’re prepared for it though.”
True story, folks. Be prepared.
Jenny and I met these enthusiastic ladies while waiting in the shuttle line. They attend the Festival every year together to celebrate their friend’s birthday.
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It all started out like an adventure waiting to happen. My BFF Jenny and I packed up the car for much needed a girls’ weekend at the beach, where we planned to spend our time tasting some of the best wines around and eating piles of delicious seafood. Well, we definitely made a memory – no question about that – but we also got an clear-cut reminder that, like Disneyland on a hot August afternoon, expectation and reality are not always the same thing.
That said, let me be clear: the point of this post is not to discourage you from attending the Newport Seafood & Wine Festival: quite the contrary! It is my hope that this post will give you the information you need so that, when you go, you can have a great time; and (most importantly) avoid having any big, unwelcome surprises along the way. In other words, this is the post I wish I had read before I went.
The Newport Seafood & Wine Festival
Held annually in Newport Oregon on the 4th weekend of February
Every February since 1978, the Newport Seafood & Wine Festival in Newport, Oregon has attracted visitors from around the world. At the Festival, Pacific Northwest wineries pour their finest wines, culinary professionals serve up delectable seafood creations, and local artists and craftsmen showcase a variety of fine art, sculptures, photography, pottery, and jewelry. Knowing what to expect and being prepared will make all the difference in your experience.
[Note that this is a over-21 event. Children are not allowed, nor are pets unless they are a service animal.]
Pre-Festival Prep
1. Book your stay in Newport early. Each year, the Festival draws some 25,000 additional people to this coastal community of 10,000, making overnight options scarce, so if you want to stay in town, be sure to plan ahead. Or, better yet, plan your overnight stay in one of the many nearby coastal towns. Maybe it’s just my imagination, but Newport overnight accommodations during the Festival seem significantly more pricey than they are other times of the year. (Whaaa?!?!) You may find a better deal by staying 20 or 30 minutes north or south of Newport.
2. Purchase your tickets online to save. You can save between 10% and 20% by purchasing your tickets online. Note that Saturday entrance is by E-Ticket only. There is NO GENERAL ADMISSION on Saturday. Standby may be available after 1pm depending on capacity; however, standby tickets are considerably more expensive.
3. Eat a good meal before you go. This is just common sense, especially if you plan to do a lot of wine tasting. You probably want to avoid spicy or heavily seasoned food in order to keep your taste buds neutral, but it’s a good idea to have something in your stomach.
Speaking of food, I think that the single biggest disappointment about the Festival for me when I attended was due wholly to my incorrect perception that because title of the Festival was “Seafood & Wine,” that there would be a balance of, well, seafood and wine. Logically, what followed in my mind was that I would have many luscious seafood options from which to choose for a midday meal.
The reality was, not so much. From my perspective (and I’m sure some would disagree) this Festival is all about the Wine: the seafood is just a nice opening act, and an overpriced one at that. With that said, the food vendor list for this year’s festival seems to have significantly expanded since we attended, so it might be a bit more balanced now.
Getting There
4. Take advantage of the shuttle service. The Newport Seafood & Wine Festival provides a FREE bus shuttle to all patrons of the Festival. The shuttle stops at many of the local hotels, motels and popular Newport neighborhoods. Shuttles stop running 1 hour after the closing of the Festival. On Saturday the hours are extended for service to area restaurants. Even if you are staying a ways out of town, I suggest parking at one of the shuttle stops and taking the shuttle bus to the actual event location, as parking there can be a significant challenge much of the time.
There are also many private groups that obtain a license to operate as a temporary cab service through the City of Newport. These cab services are available throughout the Festival weekend in addition to the regular cab companies in Newport.
5. Go early and leave early. At peak times of the day (particularly on Saturday) there can be a bit of a wait to get in, so be prepared to chill in line for a little while. (And “chill” you will! Remember, this is the Oregon Coast in February, folks.) The upside to this is that you will have the opportunity to meet some truly interesting characters.
The best days to go to avoid the college partiers are Thursday night or Sunday, the later being the most “adult” day of the Festival. Sunday is also a good day for finding deals, as vendors don’t want to tote all that wine back with them.
This couple, like many, dressed up for the occasion.
When You Go
6. Do not drink all the wine. [Read: Don’t be a jackass.] At one point while Jenny and I were threading our way through the crowds, it seemed as though wine glasses were falling to the ground around us like plates at a Greek wedding, due mostly to the fact that their owners had lost the ability to hold onto a glass properly.
Each time a glass popped and shattered on the asphalt floor, individuals in the nearby crowd expressed one of two distinct reactions: (1) clapping, cheering, and general appreciation for the glass owner’s achievement of apparent inebriation, or (2) head-shaking and eye-rolling at the glass owner’s achievement of apparent inebriation. Personally, and at risk of sounding old and judgy, the truth is, if you drink all the wine, you will end up looking like a jackass to at least half the crowd. If you’re cool with that, great. Just don’t say I didn’t warn you.
Mulled blueberry wine, made from a novelty wine from Springbank Farm in Lebanon, Oregon was one of my favorite things at the Festival. It was especially welcome on a crisp February afternoon.
7. Keep in mind that the Vendors are people, too. Vendors can get cranky after a weekend of dealing with drunken revelers and college carousers wine tasters, so if they seem a bit frustrated at times, try to offer a little compassion and a kind word. (You might even get a free tasting out of it 😉)
This Cardwell Hill Cellars vendor was very friendly, and such a good sport for posing for my “exhausted vendor” pic.
Good to Know:
8. You probably don’t want to take your teetotaling friends. I have a lot of friends who don’t consume alcohol under any circumstances, and I attend many food events at which alcohol is served to which I would feel completely comfortable taking them… but this ain’t one of ’em. The focus of the Newport Seafood & Wine Festival is on Wine first and foremost, and as someone who abstained for much of my adult life, I can tell you, this event just isn’t geared for the non-imbibing demographic, at all.
In addition to wine and seafood, there are a number of artisan & crafter booths at the Festival, and this was one of my favorites! Mugwump designs & creates handbags, wallets, & other fashion accessories using reclaimed/recycled materials.
9. Actual wine tastings are NOT INCLUDED in the price of your ticket. If this is your first large-scale wine tasting event, this may come as a surprise. If you plan to do a lot of tasting, come prepared with a pocket full of small bills.
10. Wine awards are (apparently) like soccer trophies: everyone gets one. However, (and I’m just guessing here) not all awards are created equal. Now, I’m no wine expert by any stretch, especially when it comes to “wine awards.” All I can tell you is that practically every bottle I saw on display had some kind of ribbon or medal hanging around its neck. The Newport Seafood & Wine Festival hands out Gold, Silver, Bronze and Best-In-Show awards, but beyond that there are tons of wine awards on display from countless other competitions.
11. There will be at least four times more people there than you imagine. If you are one of those people like I am (INFP here) who find crowds a little intimidating (or terrifying), I strongly urge you to avoid going on Saturday at all. This is the busiest day of the Festival (followed closely by Friday evening) and the one that attracts the most “revelers” as well. The best time for crowd-shy folks is Thursday night (which is also the media night), or early in the day on Friday or Sunday.
Image Credit: Oregon Coast Visitors Association [Used with permission.]
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Mary says
January 23 at“Like a frat party”!!! Ha. Sooo true! It can get so crazy at that event. You’re spot on with your descriptions and advice. Go early and leave early is the best. I used to pour at that event when I worked for a winery, and from the vendor standpoint you’re so incredibly exhausted by the end, and you’ve encountered so many drunk people, so your patience is low. The morning is the best time, especially if you want to try to talk with any of the vendors.
Erin @ Platings and Pairings says
January 23 atWhat a great recap of the event with lots of great tips! I actually have been going to the Newport Seafood & Wine Fest every year since college… So – Over 15 years now! I’m lucky that my friend Barb lives there, so we always have a place to stay. We also always go on Fridays as it is WAY less crazy (and the portable potties are still a bit clean). Great tip about eating a big meal before hand. Every year I think back and remember that I did NOT eat enough at the festival – Maybe just a few oysters here and there. My tip would actually be to buy tickets at the door – At least the past couple years, there has always been a long line for prepaid ticket holders, but if you don’t have a ticket, you can just walk up to the front of that line.
Pech says
January 23 atI appreciate that you wrote this all out so those searching for what the experience is like will know what to expect. It’s a little bizarre to me that at some beverage festivals be it beer or wine or other liquor people are paying so much to get drunk and not be able to taste all the good stuff and diversity of offerings, but hey I guess it’s their money!
Joanna @ Everyday Made Fresh says
January 24 atWe have a food and wine festival near us, twice a year. We’ve never been. Tickets are outrageously priced! I do hope that one day I’ll be able to go to the one in Aspen Colorado!
Marlynn | UrbanBlissLife says
January 24 atOMG. Every year I think about going, and you just confirmed all of my fears about this event. I am sure it is a fun one, but I really hate that wine tastings are not included in your ticket price and most of all, that there isn’t a massive amount of food as I would expect at an event like this. I never understand why organizers don’t plan on twice as much food as alcohol at these events (the liability!). That said, it does look fun and your tips are very very thorough and detailed, which I think will help anyone who is new to the event!
Angela Tolsma says
January 24 atI was all for going to this event and then you said that the wine tasting wasn’t included in the price of the ticket! That’s so sad, but totally reasonable too. I am not a big crowd person but this would definitely be one of those do it once for the experience type events.
serena says
January 24 atLOL! Like a frat party, seems to be such a true statement! I don’t do these events very often because they are usually ridiculously priced. Always fun, just expensive.
Maria Katsulos says
January 24 atThis is so interesting! Obviously I’m one of those people you mentioned who would NOT enjoy this, because of the wine, BUT I agree that it’s disappointing that there wasn’t more seafood!!
Taylor Aube says
January 24 atThis sounds like the best festival ever! Newport is such a fun place and you can’t beat their seafood. Oh and the wine is an amazing bonus. Sounds fun!
Britney Kaufman says
January 24 atI’m not a fan of seafood, but wine? Yes please! Shuttle service is always a pro when it comes to festivals.
Jessica Joachim says
January 25 atThis looks like an amazing festival! We have something similar near where I live, and we try to go every year. I mean how can you beat seafood and wine lol
Jeanine says
January 25 atSounds like a really fun festival. I’ve never been to any sort of festival like this before, but would love to attend!
Cindy Ingalls says
January 25 atI’ve never attended such a large festival like this one, but I have gone to a few larger wine tasting and smaller festivals. They are fun, but you do have to have patience and an open mind. It’s amazing how rude some people can be when it comes to sharing. The best thing to do is to just have fun, go early and enjoy yourself.
Nailil says
January 25 atWine and seafood are two of my favorite things. Now a festival where I can experience both sounds so perfect. From your photos, I’d say its a great experience.
Reesa Lewandowski says
January 26 atMy husband and I love seafood festivals here on the Jersey Shore, so I can just imagine how amazing this must be on the west coast! We have always wanted to go to Portland!
Heather says
January 27 atExcellent tips! I’d love to attend. Since having children, festivals like this sounds more like a great day date than fun with the entire family. 🙂
Msddah says
January 27 atSuch a great post. I tend not to go to wine events because I only drink sweet wine and I notice they mostly serve dry wine at these events. Thanks for posting!
Krystle Cook says
January 27 atThis looks like it is such a fun event! Thank you so much for sharing about it and the tip to buy the tickets online to save some on them.