Headed home at last?

Every year for the last who-knows-how-many, I’ve wished that Jazz and Oysters would come home to Oysterville where they belong.  J&O was born here in 1985 – conceived by Oysterville resident and Water Music Festival promoter Carlos Welsh.  He hosted a jazz program on KMUN and his wife Sharon Montoya Welsh had just written a popular oyster cookbook.  At the time, bringing jazz and oysters to Oysterville seemed like a complete no-brainer.

For twenty-five years the event was held on the grassy play field in front of the Oysterville Schoolhouse.   People brought their lawn chairs (or blankets), lined up at the huge charcoal grill to get oysters just as their shells popped open, and the music filled the village!  Popular from the get-go!  Then, sadly, it all got too big and a new venue was sought.  It was Wilson’s Field for a while but that proved to be too big.  Then it was Veteran’s Park in Long Beach but, perhaps that was too small.

This year Jazz and Oysters will be held at Port of Peninsula in Nahcotta.  Maybe, in true Goldilocks fashion, that will prove to be just right!  It’s not Oysterville, but it has all the right ingredients – the bay is in view, there is plenty of parking, and it’s the center of the oyster industry on this side of the bay.  It should be perfect!  Saturday, August 18th is the date.  12 noon to 7:00 p.m. is the time.

The schedule:
11:30 a.m. Gates Open
12:00 N Ilwaco High School Jazz Band
1:00 p.m. R.J. Marx Quartet
3:00 p.m. Eugenie Jones
5:00 p.m. 45th Street Brass
Tickets are available on line – go to https://watermusicfestival.com/event/jazz-and-oysers/ for complete information.

Of course, we old-timers who remember when it all started are ever hopeful that Jazz and Oysters will find its way home.  Maybe next year…  But, if not, the Port of Peninsula in Nahcotta sounds just about perfect!

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