Wareham Oyster Festival organizers say the event will let the rest of southern New England in on one the town’s best kept secrets – local shellfish are to drive for.

“We have people from the Cape, Boston, the North Shore, all over really, coming here,” said Linda Burke, vice president of marketing and communication for the A.D. Makepeace company. “Families travel for this.”

Now in its fourth year, the event is scheduled for Sunday, May 28 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oyster purveyors will be in Pezzoli Square with other local eateries and a variety of vendors setting up along Main Street.

Five oyster companies from Rhode Island to the outer Cape will be on hand along with half a dozen other food vendors. Burke said having a variety of oyster sellers is a big draw for connoisseurs of the slippery shellfish.

“They go from table to table tasting each one and noting the subtle difference in flavor,” said Burke. “People will talk about the shape of the shell, the brininess. Apparently it’s just like wine. There’s a term, terroir, that they’ve changed specifically for oysters –merroir.”

In French, terroir refers to the soil and climate where wine grapes are grown. Oyster sellers have put their own twist on that word, hence merroir.

“It refers to the taste oysters take on from their location,” said Wareham Village Association member and festival organizer Bob Brady. “I’m biased, but we’ve got a great location for oysters.”

To celebrate that fact, a week’s worth of events are scheduled ahead of the festival.

On May 23, an information session on the revitalization of the Onset Bathhouse, including plans to transform it into an educational center, will be held at Lindsey’s Family Restaurant. Interest in that event is high as seats are no longer available, said Burke.

On May 25, the Cape Cod Canal Region Chamber of Commerce will host a gala from 5:30 to 8 p.m. in the Rosebrooke Event Center. For more information, visit www.capecodcanalchamber.org.

On the morning of the event, a 5K race will be held to raise funds for the Wareham Boys & Girls Club.

During the event, live music can be heard from 1 to 5 p.m. From 1 to 3 p.m., the South Coast Jazz Orchestra will perform. Between 3 and 5 p.m., the classic rock influenced Synthesis will play.

Both Burke and Brady extended thanks to the many corporate sponsors and local groups that have come together each year to make the event a success.

“There’s many, many people and groups who come together in quiet ways to make this a success,” said Burke. “We couldn’t do it without them.”

For more information on all of the events leading up to the festival, visit www.warehamoyster.com.