So, I ended up going to the Newport Seafood and Wine Festival again this year. The 2024 one. Figured, why not? It’s kind of a tradition, I guess, even if it’s a bit of a hassle sometimes.
Woke up, decided to just do it. The drive down to Newport wasn’t too bad, actually. Left early enough to beat the worst of the traffic, which is always a gamble. Parking, well, that’s another story. You circle around a bit, find something eventually. Paid a bit more than I wanted, but that’s how these things go. They know you’re coming.
Got my ticket, went inside. Man, it was already buzzing. Tents everywhere, people milling about. Smelled like fried stuff and the ocean, a weird mix but kinda nice, you know? The usual setup, really. Big tents for the wine, rows of food stalls. They had that big main tent, and a bunch of smaller ones scattered around. Seemed like more vendors this year, or maybe they just packed them in tighter.
First things first, I needed some food. That’s half the reason you go, right? I looked around, lines were already forming.
- I grabbed some grilled oysters first. They were decent. Smoky, a bit of garlic butter. Not cheap, though.
- Then I saw a stall with Dungeness crab melts. Had to try one of those. It was pretty good, actually. Lots of crab.
- Walked past the fish and chips. Always a classic, but I wanted to try other stuff.
Some folks were already deep into it, balancing plates and wine glasses. It’s a skill.
After the food, I figured it was time for the wine part. Got my little commemorative glass – you always get one – and started wandering through the wine tents. It’s a bit overwhelming, to be honest. So many wineries, all wanting you to try their stuff. I mostly stuck to Oregon Pinots, because, well, Oregon. Tried a few good ones. Some were really nice, smooth. Others, not so much. You get a little pour, you swish it around, pretend you know what you’re doing. Chatted with a couple of the winery folks. They’re always eager to talk about their grapes.
The crowds, though. That’s the main thing. It got seriously packed as the day went on. You’re constantly bumping into people, shuffling along. If you’re not a fan of tight spaces, this festival will test you. I saw a few people looking a bit stressed out. You gotta have patience, or just embrace the chaos. They had some music playing, some band I didn’t recognize. Sounded alright, background noise mostly.
I’ve been to this festival a bunch of times. It definitely feels like it’s gotten bigger, maybe a bit more commercial. Or maybe I’m just remembering the old days with rose-tinted glasses. It used to feel a bit more… local? I don’t know. Now it’s a big operation. Lots of out-of-towners, which is fine, brings money in, I suppose. I remember one year it rained cats and dogs, the whole place was a mud pit. That was an adventure. This year, the weather held up, so that was a plus. Little chilly, but sunny.
So, was it worth it? Yeah, probably. It’s a day out, you get to eat some good seafood, try some wine. Ran into a few people I knew, which is always nice. You spend more money than you plan to, that’s almost a guarantee. Between the entry, the food, the wine tastes, it adds up. But it’s an experience.
Would I go again next year? Probably. Ask me in a few months when I’ve forgotten about the parking and the crowds. It’s one of those things. You complain about it a bit, but then February rolls around and you think, “Yeah, maybe I’ll go to the seafood festival.” That’s just how it is.
