Aransas County, the Coastal Bend

Rockport and Fulton, Texas: an oyster town and its neighbor

Two small towns share the shore of Aransas Bay, one built on a rock ledge and one built by a cattle baron. Between them they throw a March party for the oyster and an October one for the crab. Here is when to come, and how to fry a pint of oysters the way the festival booths do.

Five JollyGringo'z bottles on a cooler at a boat dock

Packing houses, then boats, then oysters

Rockport sits on Live Oak Peninsula between Copano and Aransas bays and takes its name from the rock ledge under its shore. The Handbook of Texas says it began just after the Civil War as a place to slaughter, pack and ship cattle. William S. Hall built the first packeries in 1865, and the town was incorporated in 1870.

Fulton, a short drive up the bay, carries the name of George Ware Fulton. With his wife Harriet he turned her inherited land on Aransas Bay into a ranching and meatpacking business, and the Texas Historical Commission says the couple shipped tallow and hides to New Orleans. Between 1874 and 1877 they built Oakhurst, a French Second Empire house with gas lighting, central heating and hot running water. It is now the Fulton Mansion State Historic Site.

When the cattle trade faded, the water took over. Boatbuilding and fishing grew in the 1880s. Shrimping took hold between 1925 and 1930, paid off in the 1940s and rebounded in the 1950s, and by the 1960s a Rockport yard was doing a steady trade in steel hulled boats. Fishing, shrimping and visitors were still the main business in town by the late 1980s.

The oyster has the strongest hold on the calendar. The Fulton Volunteer Fire Department raises its money with a four day oyster festival, 47 editions old in 2026, held on the waterfront, complete with a parade down Fulton Beach Road and raw oyster eating contests.

How the Texas oyster season works

Texas Parks and Wildlife runs public oyster harvest from November 1 to April 30. Recreational harvest is allowed Monday through Saturday from sunrise to 3:30 in the afternoon, oysters must measure at least three inches across the shell, and the limit is two sacks per person.

The state also opens and closes harvest areas bay by bay, based on reef surveys. St. Charles Bay, just north of Rockport, is one of the minor bays closed to oyster harvest outright. Before you go out with tongs, check the current list of open areas and the state health department's shellfish maps. Or skip the work and buy a pint at a bay front market.

What is in season

When Rockport and Fulton eat what

Oyster and flounder rules here are Texas Parks and Wildlife's; the shrimp pause is announced with NOAA Fisheries; crane timing is from the Handbook of Texas.

What is in season in Rockport, by month
What	When	Months
Oyster tonging on reefs the state has opened for the yearIn season now	November through April Official dates for Oyster tonging on reefs the state has opened for the year (opens in a new tab)
Whooping cranes winter at Aransas National Wildlife RefugeIn season now	November to March
Flounder off limits to every angler and gigger in TexasIn season now	November 1 into mid December
Fulton Oysterfest on the waterfrontIn season now	Early March
Gulf trawling paused off the whole Texas coastIn season now	Mid May to mid summer Official dates for Gulf trawling paused off the whole Texas coast (opens in a new tab)
Rockport Fulton SeaFair at Rockport HarborIn season now	Early October

Festivals and events

Rockport and Fulton food festivals

Two festivals bracket the year, one in late winter and one in early fall. Both are run by local volunteers. Dates update every month: confirmed means the organizers posted it, expected means it follows the usual pattern.

Fulton Oysterfest

Early March, Thursday to Sunday, at the Fulton Convention Center on Fulton Beach Road

Next Expected March 4 to 7, 2027

A fundraiser for the Fulton Volunteer Fire Department with fresh oysters, live music, a decorated oyster contest, a Saturday parade and men's and women's raw oyster eating contests.

Official site Add to Google Calendar

Rockport Fulton SeaFair

Early October, Thursday to Sunday, at Rockport Harbor

Next Expected October 7 to 10, 2027

Run by the Rockport Fulton Chamber of Commerce, with a Cajun gumbo cookoff, jambalaya and etouffee cookoffs, crab races, a parade, boat races and more than 100 vendors.

Official site Add to Google Calendar

The next twelve months in Rockport

Oct2026Nothing on the calendar
NovNothing on the calendar
DecNothing on the calendar
Jan2027Nothing on the calendar
FebNothing on the calendar
Mar4 March: Fulton Oysterfest, expected
AprNothing on the calendar
MayNothing on the calendar
JunNothing on the calendar
JulNothing on the calendar
AugNothing on the calendar
SepNothing on the calendar

From the lineup

Bottles for an Aransas Bay oyster night

One seasoning for the cornmeal, one sauce for the table, and one for the redfish somebody will bring back from the flats.

Port A Shrimp Shack

Some Heat, 3.5 oz, $9

Our shrimp boil blend, bright with citrus and heavy on celery and coriander. A spoonful in the cornmeal seasons every oyster evenly.

Grand Isle Hook Set Sauce

Some Heat, 8 fl oz, $12

Red jalapeno heat, roasted pepper body and a squeeze of lime at the end. A couple of dashes per oyster, raw or fried.

Gulf Coast Blackening

Some Heat, 3 oz, $9

Smoky, herby and peppery. Our pick for a redfish or black drum fillet in a hot iron skillet.

Cook it at home

Cornmeal fried Aransas Bay oysters

Festival booth oysters at home. Season the cornmeal, not the oysters, keep the oil hot, and fry in small batches so the crust stays crisp.

What you need

1 pint shucked Gulf oysters, drained
1 cup fine yellow cornmeal
1/4 cup flour
1 tbsp Port A Shrimp Shack
Oil for frying, about 2 inches deep
Lemons and a bottle of Hook Set Sauce

How it goes

Heat the oil to 375F in a heavy pot. Mix the cornmeal, flour and Port A Shrimp Shack in a shallow bowl.
Lift the oysters out of their liquor and let the excess drip off, then roll them in the cornmeal until fully coated.
Fry 6 to 8 at a time for about 2 minutes, until golden and the edges curl. Oysters are done when they are firm and plump.
Drain on a rack, not paper, so the bottoms stay crisp. Let the oil come back to temperature before the next batch.
Eat them right away, passing lemons and the hot sauce.

Worth knowing. If you buy oysters in the shell, shuck them just before frying and save the liquor for a gumbo.

Another one from our kitchen: Grilled Gulf Oysters

Questions

Questions about Rockport

When is Fulton Oysterfest?

It runs four days in early March in Fulton. The 47th Oysterfest was March 5 to 8, 2026, at the Fulton Convention Center. Dates for 2027 had not been announced when we checked in October 2026.

When is oyster season in Texas?

From the first of November to the end of April, on reefs the state has opened that year. Recreational tonging runs Monday through Saturday, from sunrise until 3:30 p.m.

What is the Fulton Mansion?

The 1870s home of George and Harriet Fulton, who made their money in ranching and meatpacking on Aransas Bay. It is a Texas Historical Commission state historic site open to visitors.

What is Rockport SeaFair?

A four day fall festival at Rockport Harbor run by the local chamber, with gumbo, jambalaya and etouffee cookoffs, crab races and a parade. The 2026 edition, the 51st, ran October 1 to 4.

Do you ship to Rockport?

Yes. We ship anywhere in the U.S. Orders go out within two business days, and shipping is free over $45.

Run a shop, market or kitchen in Rockport? Carry JollyGringo'z by the case. Tell us about the shop and the price sheet, the case packs and a sample bottle come straight back.

Get the price sheet

Keep going

More Texas towns near Rockport

San Patricio, Aransas and Nueces Counties

Aransas Pass, Texas

Shrimporee, Conn Brown Harbor and the old Shrimp Capital of Texas name

Nueces County

Port Aransas, Texas

The Fishing Capital of Texas, the Deep Sea Roundup and red snapper season

Calhoun County

Port O'Connor, Texas

Bay, jetty and offshore fishing from one small harbor town

Nueces County

Corpus Christi, Texas

Birthplace of Whataburger in 1950, Buc Days and a bayfront built for eating

All 17 Texas town guides

Before you go

Texas Parks and Wildlife: fishingSeasons, bag limits and where the public water is
Texas fishing licensesWhat you need before you wet a line, resident or not
Travel TexasThe state tourism office, for rooms and what else is on
NOAA tide predictionsThe tide table for the nearest station, which decides most fishing mornings

The organizers

Fulton OysterfestEarly March, Thursday to Sunday, at the Fulton Convention Center on Fulton Beach Road
Rockport Fulton SeaFairEarly October, Thursday to Sunday, at Rockport Harbor

Where our facts come from

We checked every date and title on this page against these sources in October 2026. Festival dates move, so confirm with the organizers before you travel.

Ships anywhere in the U.S.

Cook like Rockport, wherever you are

Ten small batch rubs and sauces, low on salt so you can season heavy. Any four, 15% off, and free shipping over $45.

Shop the lineup All the recipes