Campground s entry in last year s virtual Arcata Bay Oyster Festival competition.
In the middle of planning for its annual Arcata Bay Oyster Festival last year, the folks at Arcata Main Street made the bold shift to a virtual event. With the March declaration of shelter in place and a spring of gradually climbing COVID-19 case numbers, most festivals here and across the country were canceling. But in the hope of aiding businesses hit hard by the pandemic, organizers leaned into burgeoning Zoom culture and put forth a seven-hour viewing party complete with pre-recorded interviews and mini documentaries, games and streaming live music, as well as the annual Best Oyster judging, all to be consumed at home, possibly with a pre-ordered takeout meal of local oysters and beverages.