A Taste of the Lowcountry

Why SEWE's signature oyster roast has become one of the most cherished SOUTHERN gatherings

Throughout the southeast in the cooler months of the year, oyster roasts are held for nearly any occasion and reason. They can be as large or small as you want to make one. From upscale events such as a rehearsal dinner, to having a few friends over for the big college game on a brisk, crisp autumn afternoon, an oyster roast is the perfect excuse for a backyard get together or full-blown party. One oyster roast that is highly anticipated every year is the Southeastern Wildlife Exposition (SEWE) Lowcountry Social held in Charleston, South Carolina over Valentine’s weekend.

The Lowcountry of South Carolina is a geographical and cultural region near the coast of South Carolina, distinguished by salt marshes, rivers, beaches, and islands. It encompasses several counties including Charleston, Beaufort, and Colleton. Historically, the Lowcountry was the center of colonial plantation life, commerce, and wealth.

Since 1983 the annual Southeastern Wildlife Exposition has called the center of Charleston, South Carolina home. Artists, wildlife experts, and hunting enthusiasts flock to the Lowcountry to experience a taste of rural life smack in the middle of the Lowcountry city known as “The Holy City.”

Four days of exhibits, southern seafood delicacies, outdoor artisans, and more awaits the attendees. There is everything from exclusive, private, VIP black tie events including live auctions, exotic animals, wild game meals, and an open bar, to general public live performances, the fine art gallery, and live animal demonstrations such as DockDogs. (For those not familiar, DockDogs allows dogs to compete in aquatic events including jumping the furthest, the highest, and retrieving the fastest.) There are exhibitors selling luxury brands for the sporting minded outdoorsmen and women for use in the field when hunting and fishing.   

The event that everyone looks forward to however, is the last night, when the oyster roast, otherwise known as the Lowcountry Social, is held at Brittlebank Park. Steamed oysters are served, hot and tasty, as well as smoked chopped pork barbecue and smoked wings for the less adventurous, along with an open bar and live music. While my wife, Pam, and I waited in line for the gates to be opened during the most recent SEWE, we were shocked to see a former colleague, Bruce, from Raleigh, North Carolina, along with his wife Bonnie and their friends Sherrlyn and Lonnie. That is the magic and charm of SEWE: in a crowd of 40,000 plus attendees, in a very small world, we ran into someone from home. 

 At SEWE, the oysters are cooked by placing them in a steamer basket. The basket is then placed in a pot with a couple of inches of water in the bottom. The oysters are steamed on a propane gas burner for approximately five to ten minutes, or until the shells just open. Once the gates open, the steamer baskets are hurriedly brought to the waiting guests, and dumped clattering and clacking in a piping hot avalanche on the wooden, waist high tables. It is then a flurry of hands and oyster knives, shucking the briny, succulent, tender oysters.

All the tools needed to shuck and enjoy the oysters were in place on the table, including one of the most important implements necessary to enjoy an oyster roast: an oyster knife. The knife is designed with a sharp pointed blade made to place in the hinge of the steamed oyster to pry it open. Towels are also a must, as eating oysters can be a wet and messy experience. Use at least one towel or oyster shucking glove on your support hand to defend against accidently stabbing your palm with your knife-wielding hand. There are also plenty of bowls to keep your just shucked oysters in until ready to eat, should you choose not to eat as you go.

The other ingredients provided to make it a perfect oyster roast were saltine crackers, cocktail sauce, hot sauce, melted butter, and, courtesy of the open bar, cold beer, wine, and bourbon to wash the oysters down. They also pair nicely with a crisp Chardonnay. It is a downhome atmosphere with the band, seafood, barbecue, and fellowship. We could have just as easily been having a party in our own backyard as we were in the center of Charleston, South Carolina.

After the festivities of SEWE, the shucked shells are tossed in large, plastic garbage cans and are recycled for new oyster habitats. The shells are cleaned and submerged and become oyster reefs for baby oysters to attach and grow. As the oysters grow, they filter the water, protect the coastline, and provide habitat for fish, crabs and other marine life.

Why are oyster roasts typically reserved for the cooler months of the year? There is an old wives’ tale dating back for centuries claiming oysters can only be safely eaten in months with an R. This is because before modern refrigeration and freezing, oysters harvested in warmer months could carry bacteria causing illness or death. This old rule of thumb is more myth than fact today because of modern refrigeration, oyster harvesting and farming, and food safety practices that make consuming oysters year-round safer and decreases spoilage and the likelihood of illness. However, some people still prefer consuming and enjoying oysters only in R months, out of tradition. The oysters are also more flavorful and tastier and because the cooler water slows the spawning, making them plumper and sweeter as they store glycogen.

We already have our tickets for SEWE and the Lowcountry Social for 2026. We cannot wait to head south and experience all SEWE and Charleston have to offer. We look forward to catching up with old friends and making new friends along the way.

To find out more about SEWE and purchase tickets, you can visit their website https://sewe.com.

Photos by Sherrlyn Presson Davis and Cecil Cherry

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about the author

Cecil Cherry is a native North Carolinian who graduated from East Carolina University and retired as a law enforcement officer from the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation. He enjoys outdoor pursuits, traveling to North Carolina wineries with his wife Pam, and sharing the bounty of field to plate with friends and family. He is established outdoors and travel writer; his words can be seen in publications ranging from Feathers and Whiskey, Porch and Prairie, and Modern Clubman to The Southern Voice, On the Fly, and Strung.

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