The 70th Galway International Oyster Festival will begin later this evening.
Launched in 1954, the event has grown and expanded over the intervening decades and is now one of the city's flagship annual gatherings.
The main event takes place tomorrow, when the World Oyster Opening Championship will be staged at a festival marquee on Nimmo’s Pier.
Competitors are timed to gauge the speed at which they can "shuck" an oyster, with points also awarded for technique and presentation.
Finalists from more than 20 countries will take part.
Before that, the Irish Championships will be staged this evening.
A day long Féile Bia na Mara will showcase an array of seafood from along the western coast on Sunday, while a number of chefs will host cookery demonstrations throughout the day.
The festival was established to celebrate native Galway oysters, which are in season from now until April.
It attracts thousands of overseas visitors to the city each year and has been billed as one of Europe’s longest running food extravaganzas.
Tickets for entry to the weekend events range in price from €45 to €90, with free admission to Sunday’s food tasting in the festival marquee.
