Newport Seafood & Wine Festival 2025 in Oregon

Whether you're a fan of seafood or simply enjoy a nice outing, the Newport Seafood & Wine Festival is a great opportunity to spend a weekend by the Pacific Ocean. First held in 1977, the festival grew to become a major attraction of the city and plays a big role in its economy during the slow winter season. Featuring a variety of seafood dishes and delicious wines from the Beaver State, the event draws in approximately 15,000 each year.

Wines & Seafood Selection

Wineries from all over the Pacific Northwest and the entire country gather at the festival grounds to showcase an impressive range of wines and spirits. Here, you'll find unique wine varieties from small winemakers and popular picks from large businesses. Apart from wine, visitors have a chance to taste delicious rum, craft spirits, ciders, and ales. To satisfy your cravings, consider stopping by the food court, which offers many seafood dishes, including iconic seafood chowder, seafood lasagna, smoked oysters, salmon dip, wild prawns, and many other options. If you'd like to cleanse your palate with something else, there are other non-seafood dishes to choose from, such as marionberry cobbler, cinnamon rolls, and sausages.

Festival Events & Program

Throughout its almost four-decade run, the festival has been known for wine and food competitions, drawing in daring contestants from all over the region. Wineries showcase their best creations in Amateur Wine Competition and Commercial Wine Competition. A beloved attraction of festivalgoers, the Seafood Chowder Contest is a legendary stand-off between local eateries, who compete for the title of "People's Choice."

Various culinary demonstrations, live music, and connections with like-minded people are also something to look forward to. This year's entertainment lineup features Tsunami Zone, Ty Curtis, Too Loose Cajun Zedeco Band, and Sonny Hess.

Schedule

The hours of the festival generally differ, depending on the day. On Thursday, the gates stay open from 5 pm until 9 pm, while on Friday, the venue operates from 12 pm to 8 pm. The festival runs from 10 am to 6 pm on Saturday and from 10 am to 4 pm on Sunday.

Tickets

Tickets to the 2025 edition of the event start at $17 for a Sunday ticket. Thursday tickets cost $26, while Friday admission can be purchased for $32. Saturday admission costs $40. You can also buy a three-day pass, which costs $75 and gives you access to three days of the event. Ruby Club Membership costs $180 and grants you entry to all four days, as well as a VIP bag, a complimentary glass, and a chowder tasting kit.

Location

The annual Newport Seafood & Wine Festival is usually held in the South Beach area of the city near the Port of Newport and the Rogue Ales Brewery. The venue overlooks the Yaquina Bay Shellfish Preserve, offering stunning vistas of the winter waters and panorama of the city. Newport itself is situated approximately 81 miles (130 km) from Salem and 132 miles (212 km) from Portland.