Ocean Fest benefits local ocean education Saturday

OceanFest, an annual celebration of our ocean backyard, features sustainable culinary seafood delights cooked up by such celebrated San Francisco restaurants as Chez Panisse, Farallon, Hog Island Oyster Company, Slanted Door, and Zuni Cafe, in addition to local brews, fine wine, music and family activities. The Farallones Marine Sanctuary Association (FMSA) holds its annual free event Saturday, October 7, 11 a.m-4 p.m. at the Farallones Visitor Center, West Crissy Field Beach, in the Presidio. A gourmet meal from a top Bay Area chef, or a wine or beer tasting is only $10. 

OceanFest supports the Marine Sanctuary Association’s environmental education programs for Bay Area children and volunteer programs that protect marine life.  Teeming with whales, birds, sharks, puffins, and other marine life, the Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary protects 1255 square miles of open ocean, bay and wetlands off the shore of San Francisco. 

"OceanFest is a perfect event—happy and unpretentious," says Judy Rodgers, chef/owner of San Francisco’s renowned Zuni Cafe and FMSA board member, who is participating in her fourth OceanFest. "OceanFest reminds us that we all need to care about the ocean, which is filled with surprises and treasures."

Rodgers will be preparing her OceanFest delicacies in the company of many of the Bay Area’s other top chefs: Phillip Dedlow from Chez Panisse, Parke Ulrich from Farallon, Charles Phan from Slanted Door, and hot dogs from Let’s Be Frank—to name a few.  All the chefs are volunteering their culinary talents to promote the delicious and environmentally sound qualities of sustainable seafood, which is donated by Monterey Fish Company and Osprey Seafood. 

The event also features live bands, kids’ music by ZunZun and other family activities, 20 exhibitors including the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s "Seafood Watch," and the Shark Mobile (everything you wanted to know about white sharks, which thrive in our local waters, especially during "Sharktoberfest"). Win a Baja kayak trip, a year of FlexCar, a Half Moon Bay getaway weekend, Jerry Rice day 49ers tickets, Farallon Islands whale watching, dinner at Greens or other restaurants, and other prizes in the OceanFest raffle.  Thousands attend this annual event, which is handicapped accessible and coincides with Fleet Week. Public transit (511.org), cycling or carpooling are encouraged.

For more OceanFest information, visit www.farallones.org or call 415-561-6625, x314.