FILE PHOTO
The 2018 Snow Hill Oyster Roast featured both traditional and unique takes on fried, raw, steam and rockafeller style local oysters.

By Josh Davis, Associate Editor

(Jan. 24, 2019) The Snow Hill Chamber of Commerce on Friday announced it would release 100 additional tickets for the ninth annual Snow Hill Oyster Roast, scheduled Feb. 24 from 1-5 p.m.

Tickets sold out on New Year’s Day, about five hours after they went on sale at midnight, drawing criticism from many fans of the event on social media.

About 300 of the 450 tickets apparently had been set aside ahead the online release.

Bishop’s Stock owner Ann Coates said it was ironic she couldn’t get passes, because her gallery doubles as one of the food stops during the event.

“As a chamber member, I feel this is not an equitable way to meet the demand. There needs to be a better resolution,” Coates said.

Others posted even sharper criticism.

Resident Robert Clarke said he would “never go to any chamber event or activity if this is how they treat residents,” while Lana Maloney said she had gone the last three years and spent “lots of money at the local merchants,” adding, “we are done with Snow Hill!”

Event organizer Lee Chisholm, in a Gazette interview last week, said what happened was “an honest mistake that kind of snowballed.”

Chisholm said it’s not uncommon for someone to approach at Taylor Bank and ask him to put a few tickets on hold.

“That never really amounted to more than 20 or 30 tickets every year and it never really was an issue,” he said. “This year, so many people did that, and they did that over at the [Harvest Moon] restaurant and they did it here, so we ended up kind of shooting ourselves in the foot.”

The longtime event planner, Chisholm said the chamber would meet to discuss a way to rectify the situation, adding, “I can guarantee you, for as long as I have anything to do with this event, that will never happen again.”

On Friday, a post on the Snow Hill Chamber of Commerce Facebook page announced: “BY POPULAR DEMAND we have expanded this event. More venues, more great food. 100 More Tickets will be for sale starting February 1st.”

Tickets, $47, are scheduled to go on sale at 6 p.m. at www.snowhillchamber.com or www.facebook.com/SHChamber176.