TIAPEI News & Awards

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PEI International Shellfish Festival Celebrates 30 Years as Atlantic Canada’s Largest Kitchen Party This Week

Presented by Dairy Farmers of PEI, the milestone 30th anniversary festival runs September 17–20 at the Charlottetown Event Grounds.

CHARLOTTETOWN, PE — Get ready to shell-ebrate! The Prince Edward Island International Shellfish Festival, presented by Dairy Farmers of PEI, returns to the Charlottetown Event Grounds this Thursday, September 17 through Sunday, September 20, 2026, marking 30 years as Atlantic Canada’s largest kitchen party.

For three decades, the festival has brought together world-class chefs, PEI’s shellfish harvesters and producers, and thousands of food lovers for a weekend of culinary competition, live entertainment, and East Coast hospitality. This year’s milestone edition features the festival’s biggest lineup yet.

Highlights of the week include:

• Feast & Frolic, presented by Lobster PEI, kicks off the festival Thursday evening with a celebration of PEI lobster.
• The Garland Canada International Chef Challenge runs all weekend — Friday preliminaries, Saturday semi-finals, and Sunday’s live finale — as top chefs compete for a $10,000 grand prize using PEI’s finest shellfish.
• Championship competitions throughout the weekend include the Irish Point Oysters PEI Shucking Championship (Friday), the Raspberry Point International Oyster Shucking Championship and PEI Potato Seafood Chowder Championship (Saturday), and the Tie One On Mussel Competition, presented by Tidal Marine.
• Friday’s Kitchen Party headliners are Girls Night Out and festival favourites Signal Hill.
• Saturday night brings the festival’s signature 30th-anniversary event: Shell Yeah! 30 Years of PEI’s Largest Kitchen Party, produced by Craig Fair Productions.
• Sunday afternoon brings a new competition, the Shucking Good Spirits Cocktail Competition presented by Deep Roots Distillery.
• Guests can also explore the local food pavilion, the Pearl Pantry presented by Kays Wholesale & Kays Fresh Market, and daily sampling from festival partners.

“Thirty years in, this festival is still all about celebrating the people who bring PEI’s world-famous shellfish to the table — our fishers, growers, chefs, and producers,” Liam Dolan, Chair of the Festival. “We can’t wait to welcome Islanders and visitors alike for our biggest celebration yet.“

Tickets for three days, including Shellfish Lovers Passes, Kitchen Party Passes, and VIP experiences are available at peishellfish.com or at the front entrance during the event.

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Media Kit

Media Contact: 

Jillian O’Halloran
Director of Marketing
Resonate XM  | 902-315-1795
jill@resonatexm.com
www.peishellfish.com