Shellstock is coming this Saturday, and organizers are hoping a date change to summer will help bring in even more funds for the town's Shellfish Propagation Fund.

The fundraiser will be held at the Westport Fairgrounds, 200 Pine Hill Road, on Saturday, August 13, a change in pace from the normal post-summer date. The gate and refreshment stands will open at 3 p.m. and apart from the raw bar, there will also be Bootleg Barbecue, O’Neil Seafood, Somerset Creamery Ice Cream, and beer, wine and soft drinks. Live music and dancing with the Funky White Honkies begins at 4 p.m.

The Westport River area has one of the most vibrant shellfishing programs on the SouthCoast and Shellstock plays a huge role in making it happen. Every week, members of Westport’s Marine Services Department and a group of volunteers are out on the water, populating the river with quahog stock. So far this year, about 1,700 bushes of quahogs out of an estimated seasonal total of 5,000 have been transplanted, Leonard said Monday.

With 100 percent of profit from Shellstock going to purchase stock for the program, Leonard and the event planning committee hope to raise enough funds to purchase 5,000 bushels of quahog stock to spread in town waters.

Tickets are available at various locations around town. In addition, donations to the propagation fund are always welcome. If you choose to make one, make a check payable to the Town of Westport, with references to the fund in the 'memo' line.