More than 25 Santa Monica restaurants and chefs will serve oysters, lobster, caviar and other seafood on the Santa Monica Pier on Sunday, Oct. 11, when the Off the Hook Santa Monica Seafood Festival returns for its eighth year with a salute to the 100th anniversary of Route 66.
The festival, held in recognition of National Seafood Month, takes place at the western end of the historic highway, a spot known as the "End of the Trail."
"What makes 2026 especially exciting is that we're celebrating the 100th anniversary of Route 66 at one of the most iconic places associated with the Mother Road," said Kim Koury, president of Spin PR Group and the festival's producer. "We're incorporating some Route 66 nostalgia throughout the event, so it feels like a celebration of both Santa Monica's culinary scene and an important piece of the city's history."
Guests can sample more than 25 seafood tastings, including oysters, lobster, shrimp, tuna, caviar and sushi, along with craft beer and wine gardens and curated cocktails. The Windbreakers will play 1970s and '80s smooth rock at a yacht rock party, and the program also includes oyster shucking and slurping competitions, games, ocean-themed photo opportunities and artisan vendors.
Participating restaurants include Santa Monica Seafood, Water Grill, Rustic Canyon, Huckleberry, Sushi Roku, Michael's Santa Monica, Mastro's Ocean Club, Fogo de Chão, Pacific Catch and The Lobster. Beverage tastings will come from producers including Duvel, Dulce Vida Tequila, Giesen Wines and Junipero Gin.
Koury said the festival began with a simple idea: bring the city's restaurants and chefs together to celebrate its seafood and culinary community while giving back. It has since grown into one of Santa Monica's signature food events, she said, drawing visitors from across Los Angeles and some who fly in for it.
"Even after taking a three-year hiatus after the pandemic, we were able to rebuild and get support from local community partners and sponsors," Koury said.
The festival raises money for Heal the Bay, which works to protect the coastline, restore local waterways and keep Santa Monica Bay clean.
"Heal the Bay has been a wonderful partner, and supporting its mission to protect our coastline, restore local waterways and keep Santa Monica Bay clean is such a natural fit for a seafood festival taking place literally over the ocean," Koury said.
New this year, the event will also benefit the Santa Monica Pier Corporation, helping fund free community programming on the pier. Koury said the Route 66 tie-in led organizers to support the pier, which she said many people don't realize is a nonprofit.
"For me, the goal goes beyond raising a specific dollar amount," she said. "It's about using the festival as a platform to support the organizations that help protect two of Santa Monica's greatest treasures — our ocean and our Pier — while bringing people to Santa Monica and supporting our local restaurants and businesses."
Koury, who has lived in Santa Monica for 25 years and has produced events in the city for 20, called the festival "truly a labor of love."
The festival is free of single-use plastics, and organizers said it highlights education and innovation around ocean conservation and sustainable seafood.
Two additions this year expand that focus. Santa Monica College's Life Sciences Department will be on-site promoting its aquaculture program, and OC Coastkeepers will collect oyster shells through its Shells for Shorelines program. The shells will be repurposed for native oyster restoration projects in Southern California.
Koury said the festival collected more than 70 pounds of oyster shells last year and expects to double that amount this year.
Asked whether sustainability and a luxury seafood festival are at odds, Koury said it is an important conversation to have.
"Celebrating great seafood and protecting the ocean it comes from shouldn't be opposing ideas," she said. "If we want to continue enjoying seafood for generations to come, we have to think about where it comes from, how it's harvested and what we can do to protect our marine environment."
She said the festival aims to make sustainability part of the experience "not in a preachy way, but in a way that gets people thinking and talking about it while they're enjoying themselves."
Koury also rejected the luxury label, saying organizers try to keep the ticket price low so guests get an all-inclusive experience with unlimited tastings and adult beverages for $115.
"I don't even think you can find a seafood buffet in Las Vegas for that price anymore," she said.
General admission tickets, called Little Fish, start at $115 and include seafood and beverage tastings, games and live music, with entry at 4 p.m. A cash bar and nonalcoholic options will also be available.
VIP tickets, called Big Fish, start at $175 and add early entry at 3 p.m. and access to the Sustainable Seafood VIP Lounge, presented by Santa Monica Seafood. The lounge offers curated cocktails and extra tastings from restaurants including Calabra at Santa Monica Proper Hotel, Shuck Brothers and Vibe Caviar. VIP guests also receive a gift bag and a pass for unlimited rides at Pacific Park, valued at $40.
Tickets are available at offthehookseafoodfest.com.
"Ultimately, the message is pretty simple," Koury said. "We can celebrate the ocean while also taking responsibility for protecting it."