SAN ANTONIO – This year, when you’re served your oysters at Fiesta Oyster Bake, they’ll come in a cardboard box instead of a plastic bucket.
This is one way the Fiesta tradition is becoming more sustainable in 2026.
Oyster Bake is one of San Antonio’s oldest and largest Fiesta traditions. It’s happening this year on Friday and Saturday at St. Mary’s University.
>> WATCH: First day of Oyster Bake kicks off at St. Mary’s University
“It’s about the family, it’s the music and giving back to the community,” Ernie Alcala said.
Oyster Bake is an annual music festival where all the funds raised go directly to the university, and it’s exactly what the name sounds like.
This year, organizers are expecting to serve more than 100,000 oysters across the two days.
After you eat your oysters this year, don’t throw away the shells!
The South Texas Coastal Initiative teams up with Sink Your Shucks out of the Harte Institute to collect used shells and repurpose them for oyster reef rehabilitation.
We followed their story last year:
“After this weekend, these shells go to the Texas coast,” Stephanie Tierce, the program coordinator for Sink Your Shucks, said.
The event also has a fresh music lineup. To see Saturday’s artists, click here.
Doors open Saturday at noon.
More Fiesta coverage on KSAT.com: