Virginia City's annual oyster fry 'testicle festival' seeks cooks from around region
Submitted by Jeff Munson on Sun, 01/30/2022 - 2:27pm
Virginia City, Nevada’s, 31st annual Rocky Mountain Oyster Fry and St. Patrick’s Day Parade is a festive celebration of its Basque roots and an all-out Irish party like no other, taking place March 12 from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. The event includes a parade, costume contests, music and of course, cooks from around the region frying up tasty testes in hopes of being named “Best Oyster Fry Cook.”
This year, that title is up for grabs as the event seeks additional cooks to participate.
Often referred to as the “testicle festival,” the Rocky Mountain Oyster Fry is one of the largest St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in northern Nevada and draws thousands of partygoers up to the Comstock to partake in the delicacy, along with the Ball Breaker Saloon Crawl, a tour of the town’s many saloons featuring samples of themed adult beverages. The “land oysters” are served up in a variety of ways as cooks are competing for prizes and awards in multiple categories.
New this year, participating cooks receive $800 payment to produce 500 samples, plus $2 per sample beyond the minimum 500. Beyond just having a ball at this fan-favorite event, cooks can earn some cash and notoriety for their business.
“The Rocky Mountain Oyster Fry is one of the most fun events we have on the Comstock,” Deny Dotson, tourism director for Virginia City Tourism Commission, said. “The cooks always go all out and people look forward to it all year long. We have several cooking teams who have participated year after year, always coming up with something new and creative for our fans. We anticipate approximately 5,000 people to attend this year, which means great exposure for new restaurants or businesses looking to reach this northern Nevada audience.”
In addition to getting paid per sample, cooks can look forward to the chance to win custom trophies and the bragging rights that go with them. Judges determine winners in the following categories based on a points system: Best Overall Taste (professional and amateur designations); Best Presentation; Most Creative Dish; and finally, the public determines the Brandi Lee People’s Choice winner.
Rocky Mountain Oyster tastings begin at 10 a.m., Mar. 12. At noon, the St. Patrick’s Day Parade marches down C Street, the town’s main drag, where the more outlandish outfit, the better. Tasting packages and saloon crawl tickets are available for purchase in advance online or onsite the day of the event, however those tasty oysters go fast so it is recommended to purchase in advance.
Tasting packages include the “Tasty Testes” to sample them all for $40, the Ball Breaker Saloon Crawl for $25, or go “Fully Monty” and get both for $55.
To sign up to be a cook or get additional information, view the details here or contact Liquid Blue Events at (775) 851-4444.
The Rocky Mountain Oyster Fry is sponsored by Coors Light, the Bucket of Blood Saloon and Camelot Party Rentals.
Go here for more information on Virginia City, Nevada, and the Rocky Mountain Oyster Fry.
