Organizers shipped 20,000 oysters from Chesapeake Bay into Tampa last Saturday for the eighth annual Oyster Fest. With origins in the backyard of Frameworks’ Tampa Heights headquarters, the wintertime rite of passage has evolved into a flawless day party where lucky ticket holders kick back inside south county’s Tabellas at Delaney Creek to feast on not just bivalves—steamed, charbroiled, raw, shooters—but barbeque (thank you Ellison Construction) and more. Complete with boats in canoes and guest bartenders like WFTS weatherman Denis Phillips, proceeds from the event go towards Frameworks Tampa Bay’s nonprofit mission of bringing emotional intelligence to schoolkids across the Bay area.
All photos by Keir Magoulas c/o Knightcap Events
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This article appears in Jan. 15 – 21, 2026.