Tarbert Seafood Festival

Ferrying Cars and Passengers across Loch Fyne

Events | Tarbert Seafood Festival 2010

2nd, 3rd & 4th July 2010

Loch Fyne is home to the annual Tarbert Seafood Festival featuring a traditional crowning ceremony, live cooking demonstrations from top chefs, family entertainment and live music all set around the natural harbour landscape of Tarbert.

The festival, run by a non-profit making voluntary committee is a unique event that brings together the very best in entertainment, food, and family participation in a beautiful setting. The event dates back to the late 1960s and despite a 10 year break from 1989, the event was revived in 1999 and has been growing in size and popularity ever since.

The event kicks off with the traditional crowning ceremony on Friday 2nd July at 7pm with the carrying of the Seafood Queen and princesses across the harbour by fishing boat before up to Tarbert Castle to be crowned signifying the start of the weekend's festival celebrations.

Cooking Demonstrations & Food Tasting

The core of the event focuses around seafood and cookery, Tarbert of course having a history of fishing, with much of modern day seafood caught sent all around the UK and Europe. What better way to celebrate and promote this superb product than in this colourful and fun event.

The event features cooking demonstrations by a variety of chefs, including talented chefs from local hotels and restaurants. Celebrity chef Nick Nairn appeared over five years from 2005 - 2009 in support of the event as part of the chef line up, his experience and knowledge passed over to the audience through professional and humourous demonstrations.

You can taste the seafood cooked, but also you can buy and sample a whole range of fantastic food and produce around the harbour side all day.

Family Entertainment & Audience Participation

Although the serious cookery side is popular, even more popular is the family entertainment on offer.

Each year a whole range of music, children's inflatables and activities, and fun events for audience participation are gathered together around the harbour side, much of which is free.

Each year is different but has the same welcome and same wonderful family atmosphere.

Free Open Air Concert

Sunday morning sees the annual car boot sale around the harbour, and the afternoon sees the 'Beer on the Pier' concert.

The open air music concert is free, and has some great music on offer, once again the importance is placed on a good family atmosphere where everyone is made to feel welcome and to enjoy equally what is on offer.

You can buy a drink or juice from the event licensed bar (proceeds of which go towards paying for the entertainment) and there is lots of food and snacks on offer at the event.

Dates & Times

Tarbert Seafood Festival is an annual event held normally on the first full weekend in July. The event spans Saturday and Sunday after the initial crowning ceremony on the Friday evening at Tarbert Castle.

Friday 2nd July 2010

Opening ceremony at 7pm by Tarbert harbour, before up to Tarbert Castle.

Saturday 3rd July 2010

Stalls open from 10am, open all day along with full schedule.
Seafood parade at 1pm along the front street.
Cooking demonstrations from 2pm.

Sunday 4th July 2010

Car boot sale from 10am all day.
Free open air concert from 2pm, with licensed bar and food stalls