Our Story
The San Leon Oyster Festival was founded by Lisa Halili, inspired by her husband Johnny Halili's journey from Albania to the U.S. in the 1970s. After years of hard work as a deckhand, Johnny purchased his first boat, Lady Katherine, and together with Lisa, they established Prestige Oysters, a family-run business dedicated to the health of Galveston Bay. The festival aims to restore public oyster reefs, ensuring a sustainable future for this vital ecosystem.