12th Annual New England Chowdafest at Sherwood Island State Park Westport

The 12th Annual New England Chowdafest officially announced its 2019 competition line-up which takes place Sunday October 6th from 11AM to 3PM at Sherwood Island State Park in Westport, Connecticut.

Thousands of chowder fans will again descend on Sherwood Island State Park to sample and cast votes for their favorites in four categories. “This may be the most diverse and tastiest line-up yet,” said excited event director Jim Keenan. “We have chowders, imaginative soups and bisques, even some incredible gazpacho. First-time visitors and longtime attendees’ taste buds will be blown away”.

Chowdafest will showcase entries from over 30 extraordinary restaurants, half of which are new to the event and eager to pit their best against some of the most-decorated chowders in the region and nation. Restaurants will compete for titles in four different categories including New England clam chowder, Creative chowder, Soup/bisque and Vegetarian. While many associate Chowdafest with local favorite New England clam chowder, each of the categories is hotly contested and popular with both restaurants and taster-voters. New to the New England clam chowder category is 21 Lake Restaurant of Danbury, Cove Deli & Cafe of Norwalk, Hub & Spoke of Black Rock Bridgeport, Redding Roadhouse of Redding and Smithsonian Chowder House of Massachusetts. They will compete alongside last year’s category runner-up Our House Bistro (VT) in an all-out effort to unseat four-time defending champion, Pike Place Chowder (WA).

Tickets are now available on-line at www.Chowdafest.org/tickets. Tickets are also available at the gate.

“Chowdafest has helped make Connecticut the chowder capital of New England because people now travel from all over the country to experience this unique event” Keenan noted. The event even has a hotel & ticket deal to accommodate the growing interest. “We’ve become a nice feather in the state’s tourism cap”.

“It’s the tastiest deal in town” said Executive Director Jim Keenan. The all-you-can-eat event remains at just $20 for adults and children 6-12 are just $5. “Every year the crowd comes earlier and hungrier, anxious to sample this year’s incredible line-up of chowders”. Those conducting the event spend months traveling all over New England in search of the best chefs and restaurants to invite to the competition. “We only invite those we think can win the competition so whoever takes the title has truly earned it”.

Chowdafest is presented by Stop & Shop and benefits Food Rescue US in the ongoing fight against food insecurity. Over 2 million meals have been funded through Chowdafest in the past 4 years alone and the event hopes to add another half million meals to that number. For additional information about Chowdafest, please visit www.chowdafest.org or email event director, Jim Keenan at chowdafest@gmail.com.

Chowdafest is sponsored by Cabot Creamery Co-operative, Chabaso Bakery, Chica de Gallo, City Carting, CT Bites, Copp’s Island Oysters, Eight O’Clock Coffee, Even Hotels, Foods of the Vine, Hood Cream, Local Food Rocks, Lowe’s, Lucy’s, Michele’s Pies, Mi Nina Tortilla, MINI of Fairfield County, Natalie’s Juices, New England Dairy Council, People’s United Bank, Polar Beverages, PKF O’Connor Davies, Silly Cows Farm, Tetley Tea, Toast Point of Sale, Wades Dairy, Vazzy’s, WEBE 108 and Westminster Crackers.