Carpenters’ Hall and Fishtown Seafood to Host Their Annual After-Hours Shells of Liberty Oyster Bash

On Wednesday, August 5 — National Oyster Day — Carpenters’ Hall and Fishtown Seafood team up for the second annual Shells of Liberty Oyster Bash, running from 5:30 to 8:00 PM in the heart of Old City.

The event leans fully into its Revolutionary roots. In the 1700s, oysters were so abundant and beloved that their discarded shells literally paved city streets. By the 1800s, Philadelphia was home to 379 oyster houses, devouring an astonishing 300 million oysters a year. And Carpenters’ Hall — the very building where the First Continental Congress ignited America’s fight for independence — recently unearthed oyster shells beneath its 250-year-old floors, proof that the Founding Fathers were fans, too.

This year’s bash brings that history to life with a hands-on evening of food, drink, and discovery.

Guests can sample a dozen local oysters, handpicked by Bryan Szeliga of Fishtown Seafood — the supplier behind some of Philly’s top restaurant raw bars. Pair them with a cold pour from Triple Bottom Brewing, and take time to explore Carpenters’ Hall itself, where table-top exhibits connect oysters, the Revolution, and the Founders, including a table hosted by the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary.

It’s history, seafood, and beer in one of the city’s most iconic Revolutionary-era buildings — not a combination you’ll find anywhere else.

Tickets

Tickets are $75 and include one beer and a dozen oysters, with additional food and drinks available for purchase. Proceeds benefit the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary, supporting the ongoing health of the very waterways that made Philadelphia an oyster capital in the first place.

For one delicious evening, Old City is your oyster — secure your spot before it sells out.