For more than 50 years, the town has hosted the Urbanna Oyster Festival. Begun in 1958, the festival is held the first weekend of November each year, from Friday morning to ending Saturday night. Live music, arts and crafts, two parades (the Fireman Parade on Friday night, and the Festival Parade on Saturday afternoon), the renowned oyster-shucking contest, and children's activities are all major attractions. A variety of foods is available from numerous vendors. Annual attendance over the two days is in between 50,000 and 75,000. During the festival, the town is closed to traffic in the afternoon on Friday and for most of the day Saturday. Admission to the event is free of charge, although there is a fee for parking within the vicinity of the festival.