Mark your calendars for the Ventura Oysterfest

Now that that the temperatures aren’t so gnarly at the beach, you might want to head to Ventura on Saturday for the first Ventura Oysterfest to celebrate our favorite mollusks. According to the news release, the idea is to “show off the best of what’s local: exceptional cuisine, great music, crated beers and outstanding local wines.”

To provide the oysters, the organizers have called on oyster farms up and down the California coast. Those attending include the Jolly Oyster, Drakes Bay Oyster Co., Tomales Bay Oyster Co., Pickleweed Point Oyster Co. and Carlsbad Aquafarm.

Plying the crowd with noshes will be Ventura County restaurants the Sidecar, Osteria Monte Grappa, Twenty88 Food & Drink, Ventura Meat Co. and more. Local craft breweries and wineries will be pouring. Of course, no food event is complete without cooking demos or, in this case, a shuck-and-suck competition. Kids will get their own supervised area. And the bands (five of them) will play.

Sounds like a lot of fun for the $20 admission (kids under 14 free). Ventura Oysterfest, San Buenaventura State Beach Park in Ventura; for more information, see www.vcoysterfest.com. Saturday, Oct. 13, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

ALSO:

Hard cider makes a comeback in L.A.

The aperitif hour: easy homemade hummus

Free gnudi and more for National Pasta Month and Noodle Day

-- S. Irene Virbila

Twitter.com/sirenevirbila