The New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center will once again celebrate the city's iconic scallop fleet with the return of its annual Scallopalooza Scallop Shucking Contest during August AHA! Night on Thursday, Aug. 13.
The free community event will run from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Bethel Street in front of the Fishing Heritage Center, bringing together commercial fishermen, seafood lovers, local businesses, and families for an evening centered on New Bedford's scallop industry.
The highlight of the evening begins at 6:30 p.m., when 15 local scallop fishermen will compete for the title of New Bedford's best scallop shucker and a championship trophy.
In addition to the competition, attendees can enjoy live music from Jason Roze, food and drinks from Phoenix on the Fly and Bayside Lounge, children's activities inside the Center, and vendor booths featuring local organizations, artists and fishing industry groups.
Visitors will also have the opportunity to learn more about commercial scallop fishing through link squeezing demonstrations by Blue Fleet Welding and wire splicing demonstrations by North Eastern Trawl, showcasing the specialized gear and skills used aboard scallop vessels.
Participating vendors include Fisheries Survival Fund, Fishing Partnership Support Services, Coonamessett Farm Foundation, Against The Tide Clothing, Moon Tide Art, Native Salt Scrubs, South Coast Almanac, Weathered Stone and others.
Scallopalooza 2026 is supported by Atlantic Capes Fisheries, Atlantic Shellfish, New Bedford Creative, Sustainable Scalloping Fund, the American Scallop Association, and more than 70 commercial fishing vessels representing companies including Atlantic Shellfish, Atlantic Capes Fisheries, Eastern Fisheries, Kenpac Fishing Corp., and Quinn Fisheries.
Bethel Street will close to vehicle traffic beginning at 9 a.m. on Aug. 13 to allow for event setup and will reopen after the festivities conclude.
“When we started talking about Scallopalooza, my intention was simple: to celebrate our fishermen,” Stacy Alexander-Nevells, a board member of the Fishing Heritage Center and manager of Atlantic Shellfish, her family’s business, told National Fisherman last summer. “It is a hard, thankless life that only those who live it can truly understand. You’d be surprised how many people right here in our local community don’t really know what it takes to bring those scallops to the dock.”
The New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center, established in 2016, is dedicated to preserving and sharing the past, present, and future of the commercial fishing industry through exhibits, educational programs, and archival collections. For more information and a full list of sponsors, vendors, and participating vessels, visit the Center's Scallopalooza webpage.
