Billion Oyster Project Prepares for First-Ever Virtual Party With Oysters Delivered to Your Door

Sept 4, 2020

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NEW YORK, NY — Tickets are on sale for the now-virtual Billion Oyster Party, on Thursday, Sept. 24, 2020. For the first time ever, the organization’s annual event will take place online, with ticketed guests across the country receiving fresh farmed oysters at their door.

At this year’s party, guests will receive a BOP oyster party pack, featuring at least three varieties of oysters. VIP guests will also receive a Déglon shucking knife, Real Oyster Cult Mignon-Nips, and a BOP branded YETI Wine Tumbler to throw a party at home.

A multi-Zoom-room event will bring the educational, epicurean experience—that BOP Party guests have come to love—to countless screens in the form of oyster farm tours, top-chef cooking demonstrations, lessons in beverage pairing, and intriguing conversations. 

Partygoers will kick off the evening at the “Main Stage”—the event hub for all things Billion Oyster Project. From there, guests will be invited to dive into oyster restoration techniques and waterfront education with BOP staff, or mingle among the Zoom rooms:

• The Farm will present a discussion led by oyster expert Julie Qiu, of In a Half Shell, where farmers from across the country will take guests behind the scenes of oyster farming. 

• The Test Kitchen will spotlight cooking demos by top NYC chefs, like Todd Mitang and Matt Griffin, and a shucking class by Ben (Moody) Harney of Mothershuckers.

• The Library will highlight a timely conversation on the intersection of social and environmental justice. 

• The Bar will feature:

  • A champagne pairing lesson with Chandon, Dom Pérignon, Krug, Moët & Chandon, Ruinart and Veuve Clicquot

  • YETI Flight School with Oxbow Brewing and Brooklyn Brewery

  • A special Scotch Whisky tasting live from Scotland with our Shell Collection Program partner Talisker Single Malt Scotch Whisky

The evening’s silent auction will feature water-inspired items and experiences in New York City and beyond, and Billion Oyster Project will unveil a highly anticipated merchandise shop!

This celebration of the movement to bring oyster reefs and biodiversity back to New York Harbor is generously supported by presenting sponsors Moët Hennessy USA, Bloomberg Philanthropies, and CIT. Like always, proceeds from the event will benefit the nonprofit’s restoration and education work. Billion Oyster Project is on a mission to restore oyster reefs to NY Harbor through public education initiatives. In doing so, this Governors Island based crew—alongside restaurants, schools, scientists, restoration practitioners and community groups—seeks to create 100 acres of oyster reefs, and foster the next generation of environmental stewards.

The oyster—a NY Harbor keystone species—has a reputation for being an “ecosystem engineer.” Oysters naturally filter water as they eat, their reefs attract hundreds of species to their reefs, and those reefs can help to protect from the effects of powerful storms like Hurricane Sandy. 

Tickets are on sale at BillionOysterParty.org; $500 for VIP tickets and $185 for GA tickets. 

Participating oyster farms include: Cape May Salt Oyster Company, Fishers Island Oyster Farm, Hama Hama Oyster Co., Hollywood Oyster Co., Louisiana Oyster Co., Nonesuch Oysters, Pelican Oyster Co., Real Oyster Cult, and Violet Cove Oysters.

Participating restaurants and oyster experts include: Matt Griffin of Simon & the Whale and Jeffery’s Grocery, Julie Qiu of In a Half Shell and Todd Mitgang of Crave Fishbar and Ben (Moody) Harney of Mothershuckers.

Event sponsors include Bloomberg Philanthropies, CIT, Aon Insurance, Barclays, RXR, Kamco, YETI, Indigo River, Moore Charitable, Nomura, TMS Waterfront, Fishers Island Oyster Farm, HDR, Virtu Financial, In a Half Shell, Talisker Single Malt Scotch Whisky, Moët Henessy, and Real Oyster Cult.

Follow #BillionOysterParty and #PartyLikeIts2035 for ticket, menu, and exhibitor updates. 

For those unable to attend the BOP Party, please visit BOP.NYC for additional ways to get involved or donate to the project. You can also subscribe to Billion Oyster Project’s e-newsletter for updates. 

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About Billion Oyster Project

Billion Oyster Project is a nonprofit organization on a mission to restore oyster reefs to New York Harbor through public education initiatives. Why oysters? Their reefs have the ability to filter water, provide habitat for many marine species, and help shield New York City shorelines from storm damage. Founded on the belief that restoration without education is temporary, and observing that learning outcomes improve when students have the opportunity to work on real restoration projects, collaborating with public schools is fundamental to Billion Oyster Project’s work. Billion Oyster Project designs STEM curriculum for NYC schools through the lens of oyster restoration, and engages Harbor School students in large-scale restoration projects, collects discarded oyster shells from 75 NYC restaurants, and engages thousands of volunteers. The project has planted 45 million oysters across 12 acres and 15 reef sites, with the help of more than 6,000 students and 10,000 volunteers. To learn more, subscribe to Billion Oyster Project’s email list at bit.ly/bopnews, and follow @billionoyster on Twitter and Instagram and @billionoysterproject on Facebook.

Please contact Helene Hetrick at hhetrick@nyharbor.org for print resolution images or to coordinate media opportunities.