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VIDEO: Hundreds celebrate 76th Georgetown Oyster Eat

The 76th annual Georgetown Oyster Eat was held at the Georgetown Fire Company Feb. 22, drawing nearly 1,000 people, mostly men, for oysters, beer and fun. Shown are (l-r) Sen. Ernie Lopez, R-Lewes; Luis Lopez, Ernie's father; and Chip Flowers, state treasurer. BY NICK ROTH
Nick Roth
March 1, 2013
Shown selling commemorative T-shirts are (l-r) Don Mitchell; Mike Vincent, Sussex County Council president; Ric Marvel; and Sen. Brian Pettyjohn, R-Georgetown. BY NICK ROTH
D.J. Vail of Baltimore, left, was the winning bidder on the Oyster Eat Knife. Vail said he's attended the Oyster Eat the last eight years and bids in the auction every year. He poses for a photo with event chair Michael Briggs. BY NICK ROTH
Event chair Michael Briggs displays the commemorative Oyster Eat knife as auctioneer Dave Wilson works the crowd. BY NICK ROTH
16 Mile co-owner Chad Campbell, left, kept the beer flowing with the help of Georgetown Fire Company President Ira Hitchens. BY NICK ROTH
Dean Sapp and the Harford Express played throughout the night as hundreds of attendees enjoyed oysters, beer and some dancing. BY NICK ROTH
Ric Marvel holds up the 76th annual Georgetown Oyster Eat commemorative T-shirt. BY NICK ROTH
Selling raffle tickets were (l-r) Chip Stevenson, assistant fire chief; Sam Wilson, Sussex County Council; and Penuel Barrett, deputy fire chief. BY NICK ROTH
Matt Pfaffenhauser of 16 Mile circled the crowd with a keg strapped to his back to refill any empty cups along the way. BY NICK ROTH
Mike Erixson quickly gets a batch of freshly steamed oysters out to an eager crowd. BY NICK ROTH
Nearly a thousand men attended the 76th annual Georgetown Oyster Eat. BY NICK ROTH

Georgetown Fire Hall was alive with the sound of bluegrass music, and the air was smoky with the smell of cigars and oysters as more than 900 people came out to the county seat for the 76th annual Oyster Eat.

This year's crowd was comparable to last year's 75th celebration, as the nearly all-male event was packed from wall to wall, all eager to get their hands on some oysters and sandwiches and wash it down with 16 Mile's Responders Ale.

At 10 p.m., the annual auction of a commemorative Oyster Eat knife commenced with D.J. Vail of Baltimore placing the winning bid of $2,000.

"I bid every year but it always gets too expensive," said Vail, who's attended the event the last eight years. "Not this year."

This year's knife was handcrafted by Neal Greene.

A Beretta 686 Oynx Over and Under 28-Gauge Shotgun was also raffled off at the event.

The money raised during the event is used to fund Georgetown Fire Department's annual operations. The total amount of money raised this year was not available.

 

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Nick Roth is the news editor. He has been with the Cape Gazette since 2012, previously covering town beats in Milton and Lewes. In addition to serving on the editorial board and handling page layout, Nick is responsible for the weekly Delaware History in Photographs feature and enjoys writing stories about the Cape Region’s history. Prior to the Cape Gazette, Nick worked for the Delmarva Media Group, including the Delaware Wave, Delaware Coast Press and Salisbury Daily Times. He also contributed to The News Journal. Originally from Boyertown, Pa., Nick attended Shippensburg University in central Pennsylvania, graduating in 2007 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism. He’s won several MDDC awards during his career for both writing and photography. In his free time, he enjoys golfing, going to the beach with his family and cheering for Philadelphia sports teams. 

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