Competitors From Across New England To Provide Special Recipe For Food And Fun At Upcoming Greay Chowder Cook-Off

Clyde the Clam with Kids

NEWPORT, RI- The 34th Annual Great Chowder Cook-Off, scheduled for next Saturday, June 6th, 2015 from noon – 6:00 p.m. on the North Lawn at Fort Adams State Park will focus on the true home of clam and seafood chowder as restaurants from throughout New England will take aim at the titles of “Best Clam” and “Best Seafood” chowder. Among those helping to stir up the competition are first time Rhode Island entrants TwoTen Oyster Bar & Grill from Wakefield, Grid Iron Ale House and Grille of Warwick and McT’S Tavern from Cumberland, as well as Bristol-Plymouth Regional Technical School of Taunton Massachusetts and StoneRidge, a second place winner at last year’s event from Mystic, Connecticut. The original and longest-running chowder championship in the country will also feature all-you-can-eat chowder, the Newport Oyster Festival, the Clam Cake Chow-Down competition, live music and a variety of entertainment for all ages.

“This year we decided to place an emphasis on the original ingredients that made the Cook-Off the success that it is today and that is competitors from here in New England, where clam and seafood chowders first made their mark and gained popularity,” said Mike Martin, Festival Director for Newport Waterfront Events, a division of Waterfront Productions.

The highly anticipated competition for bragging rights and thousands in prize money and awards for the top three winners in each category is a fun-filled day for the chowder creators as well as the tasters. The nation’s best chefs representing restaurants, catering companies and institutional dining facilities each carefully prepare 100 gallons of delicious chowder and serve samples of their sumptuous creations to the thousands of chowder loving festival attendees who also serve as judges.

Chowder lovers will be asked to come out of their shells at the Newport Oyster Festival which will be taking place alongside the Great Chowder Cook-Off at Fort Adams. The best of local shellfish and seafood will once again be presented “farmers’ market style” by Matunuck Oyster Farm and Matunuck Oyster Bar and paired with beer, wine, spirits and live music. Entry is free with a Chowder Cook-Off ticket making it a perfect spot to take a break from all that chowder. Also, calling chompers of all makes and models, the “Clam Cake Chow-Down” eating contest is back to determine which event attendees can eat a half dozen clam cakes the fastest!

In addition to food and drink, the event will feature live musical entertainment, including rock ‘n’ roller the Brian Scott Band and the reggae sounds of Newport’s-own, The Ravers. Adding to the festive atmosphere will be face painting and Mister Twister and his twisted balloon creations for the kids. Also, The 4-Safety Van sponsored by Dunkin’ Donuts and presented by Hasbro Children’s Hospital will be on hand to increase awareness and educate families about ways they can reduce their risk of experiencing an injury while living healthier, safer lives.

Parking for the Great Chowder Cook-Off will be free but limited at Fort Adams State Park. Attendees are encouraged to contact Old Port Marine and the Jamestown Ferry regarding water shuttles to Fort Adams from both downtown Newport and Jamestown. Please visit newportwaterfrontevents.com and click on “Venue Information” for more information.

The Great Chowder Cook-Off is offering a discounted advance ticket price of $20 through Friday, June 5th with the Saturday, June 6th day-of event ticket costing $25. All tickets include complimentary admittance to the Newport Oyster Festival. Children are admitted free if under the age of 12 and accompanied by a paid adult. To purchase tickets, please visit newportwaterfrontevents.com or order by phone by calling Ticketmaster at 800-745-3000. Tickets can also be purchased as walk ups during business hours at the Newport Waterfront Events Box Office, 4 Commercial Wharf (on America’s Cup Avenue) in downtown Newport.

Event sponsors include: Amstel Light, Barefoot Wine, Banana Boat, Matunuck Oyster Farm, WPRI/Fox Providence – The Rhode Show, iHeartRadio (Coast 93.3, 94 HJY, B101, 920 WHJJ), Cox Communications, What’s Up Newp, Fort Adams Trust and the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management.

For more information on the Great Chowder Cook-Off, please visit newportwaterfrontevents.com or contact the Newport Waterfront Events team at (888) 900-8640. Also, follow Newport Waterfront Events on Instagram and Twitter and become a fan on Facebook at facebook.com/waterfrontevents.

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