Blue Point hops in to save Oyster Festival

Blue Point Brewing Company will be the new title sponsor for the Oyster Festival in Oyster Bay this year, rescuing the event after other major sponsors had dropped out.

Organizers of the annual celebration were scrambling to find a new title sponsor when Blue Point stepped in.

As part of its title sponsorship, Blue Point will host the first-ever Blue Point Beer Garden at the 2019 festival. The area will feature six different Blue Point beers, both new and old, including a special IPA brewed just for the festival.

Another new feature will be an exact replica of Christopher Columbus’ Santa Maria that visitors can climb aboard, courtesy of the Nao Victoria Foundation.

Several companies chipped in to support this year’s event, including Blumenfeld Development Group, Stop & Shop and Ferrari-Maserati Long Island.

The Oyster Festival, now in its 36th year, draws up to 200,000 people. It takes place Saturday, Oct. 19 and Sunday, Oct. 20 at Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Park in Oyster Bay.