Oyster Fest returns July 16–19 | The Roof
Shuck and slurp your way through Oyster Fest 2026: The Durham’s fifth annual summer celebration of North Carolina oysters, summer flavors, and live music. Join us on The Roof Thursday, July 16 through Sunday, July 19 for four nights of oysters, live music, and a shooter bar running Friday and Saturday.
Come hungry and ready to enjoy raw and broiled oysters with summery sides. Cousins Oyster Co. will be on site Friday and Saturday, shucking for the shooter bar and the OBX Oyster Flight Experience. Kill Devil Rums from Outer Banks Distilling and Durham Distillery will be on The Roof all weekend with tastings and featured spirits. The NC Shellfish Growers Association joins us all four days, sharing about their work advocating for shellfish farmers, advancing research, and promoting responsible aquaculture in North Carolina. Every guest who donates to support their work is entered to win a night at The Durham and a farm tour with the NCSGA.
All food and drink are à la carte. Reservations are suggested for Thursday’s Al Strong kickoff; no reservations required the rest of the weekend.
Want the full experience? Book your room at The Durham and take the elevator home. Book your stay →
The Oysters
Raw or broiled, shucked to order. Choose from three mignonettes for the raw bar | pickled cucumber chile mint dill, blood orange prosecco, passionfruit mango habanero. Choose from three butters for the broiled | uni miso, candied jalapeño, bourbon bacon jam.
The full Oyster Fest menu rounds out with Fried Oyster Tacos, Lobster Sliders, Market Tomatoes with Burrata, Fried Okra with Tomato-Chile Dip, and Blistered Peppers with Lemon. Available on The Roof and in the Coffee Bar throughout the weekend. *Raw oysters on The Roof only.
Oyster Shooter Bar
Open Friday and Saturday: a freshly shucked oyster paired with your choice of Durham Distillery’s Damn Fine Vodka, Conniption Gin, or Kill Devil Silver Rum, finished Bloody Mary or Dirty Martini style.
$15 | souvenir shot glass included
$12 | without souvenir glass
OBX Oyster Flight Experience
Purchase the OBX Oyster Flight Experience from any cocktail server or bartender on The Roof, then bring your ticket to Cousins Oyster Co. for a hands-on, freshly shucked tasting. Cousins is set up next to the shooter bar on Friday and Saturday. Founded in 2020 by two cousins from the Outer Banks, they were nominated for Best Catering Company and Best Oyster Bar at the 2022 Outer Banks Best of the Beach, and source directly from local farms, returning every spent shell to the water it came from.
The Cocktails
The Roof bar is open all weekend with a full menu of specialty cocktails, beer, wine, and spirit-free options. Order an Airmail — rum, prosecco, lime, honey — and every one sold on Sunday puts $1 directly toward the NCSGA.
This weekend’s featured spirits come from two North Carolina distillers. Durham Distillery, home of Conniption Gin and Damn Fine Vodka, will be on The Roof all weekend with tastings. Kill Devil Rums from Outer Banks Distilling joins them, pouring small-batch rum inspired by the Outer Banks’ shipwreck history. Find both at the shooter bar and around The Roof throughout the weekend.
A dedicated beer and bubbles satellite bar with Oyster Fest merch runs all weekend.
Give Back During Oyster Fest: NC Shellfish Growers Association
The NCSGA will be on The Roof all four days with an informational table, oyster demos, and handouts. Founded in 1995, they advocate for North Carolina’s shellfish farmers, the people behind the oysters on your plate, whose farms filter more than 600 million gallons of estuarine water every day, protecting coastal communities and waterways at no cost to taxpayers.
Donate via QR codes posted around The Roof. Every guest who donates is entered to win:
- One night at The Durham
- $50 in food and beverage credits
- Two Oyster Fest shirts
- Farm tour and oyster tasting at the coast with the NCSGA
The winner will be contacted after the event. Your donation to the North Carolina Shellfish Growers Association helps us advocate for farmers, advance research, promote responsible aquaculture, and ensure a strong future for shellfish farming across our state.
The Schedule
Thursday, July 16 — Oyster Fest Preview with Al Strong
- 6 PM: Doors open for ticket holders
- 7–9:30 PM: Al Strong Presents: Jazz on the Roof
- 9:30–11 PM: Open to the public
Standing Room | Free. Full access to the Roof once doors open. No assigned seating.
Seated | $30 with $15 menu credit. Dedicated community seating under the covered portion of The Roof, first-come, first-served. *Menu credit valid the night of the show, excludes alcohol.
Reservations are suggested for Thursday evening only.
Friday, July 17
- 4 PM–12 AM: Roof Open
- Oyster Shooter Bar open
- 7–10 PM: DJ Rheub
Saturday, July 18
- 4 PM–12 AM: Roof Open
- Oyster Shooter Bar open
- 4–6:30 PM: The Simple Joy
- 8–9:30 PM: The Woodburys
Sunday, July 19 Final Day
- 2–8 PM: Roof Open
- 2–5 PM: DJ EMELCiE
- Every Airmail sold today: $1 donated to the NCSGA
The Roof is covered and Oyster Fest is on rain or shine. No reservations required for Friday through Sunday.
