Great Chowder Cook-off Announces Chowderhead Club Tickets Featuring Early Access to Popular Summer Event on Sale Tuesday, March 1st

NEWPORT, RI – In celebration of National Clam Chowder Day, Newport Waterfront Events announces that exclusive, all-access Chowderhead Club tickets will go on sale in limited quantities this coming Tuesday, March 1st at noon for the 35th Annual Great Chowder Cook-Off taking place this summer on Saturday, June 18th from noon to 6:00 p.m. at Fort Adams State Park in Newport, Rhode Island. Available for $20, the Chowdahead Club tickets feature the “Chowder Power Hour” where hardcore “chowda” fans can enjoy an early preview of the original and longest running chowder championships in the country. Beat the crowds by an hour, meet the chefs and enjoy the first tastes of the 2016 chowder creations! Once the Chowdahead Club tickets are sold out, advance ticket will go on sale for the same $20 price through June 17th with day of tickets $25. Children are admitted free if under the age of 12 and accompanied by a paid adult. Purchase tickets at www.newportwaterfrontevents.com or order by phone by calling Ticketmaster at 800-745-3000.

“Last year’s move across the harbor to the Great Chowder Cook-Off’s new Fort Adams State Park location really exceeded our expectations,” said Michele Maker Palmieri, President and CEO of Waterfront Productions, the parent company of Newport Waterfront Events. “We organized last summer’s event in less than six weeks as we were in a state of transition after the sale of the Newport Yachting Center, the Cook-Off’s former home. We are thrilled to have more time to bring this festival back and make it bigger and better! So far we have over a dozen local, regional and international competitors locked up and we are contacting past champions with an eye towards a new “Best of the Best” category which will feature the recipes of our Great Chowder Cook-off Hall of Famers.”

Competitors that have confirmed thus far include: McT’s Tavern – Cumberland RI; Bristol Plymouth Culinary Program – Taunton MA; Grid Iron Ale House – Warwick RI; Greenwich Bay Oyster Bar – East Greenwich RI; Clifton Health Care Campus – Somerset MA; Fireworks Catering – Providence RI; DiMare Seafood – East Greenwich RI; Open Season Catering – Warwick RI; MainSail – Newport RI; Bunratty Manor, Clare, Ireland; Wharf Pub, Newport RI; McGrath Clambakes & Catering – Newport RI; and the Mooring Seafood Kitchen & Bar – Newport RI.

The legendary event features all-you-can-eat “chowda” from renowned chefs who serve sumptuous samples to the thousands of festival attendees who also act as judges. Chefs compete for the coveted titles of “Best Clam” and “Best Seafood” chowder with prize money being awarded to the top three winners in each category, including $2,000 each for the first-place winners. For competitors who want to register, please visit http://www.newportwaterfrontevents.com/great-chowder-cook-off/.

Admission to the Great Chowder Cook-Off also includes other fun ingredients, such as The Newport Oyster Festival presented by Matunuck Oyster Farm, Oyster Shuck & Slurping Contests, Beer Shucking, live music from Big Cat Blues Band, The Ravers and DJ Nook and a variety of activities for the littlenecks. Aside from the endless chowder, there will be a variety of other food options for sale from Haven Brothers Mobile Food Truck, Friskie Fries, Del’s, Saugy’s, McGraths Clamcakes Ben & Jerry’s and more.

This year’s partners include Sea Watch, you can sample the new Sea Watch Health Watch soups with clean ingredients and low in sodium at the Great Chowder Cook-Off, Discover Newport, I Heart Radio, WPRI 12, Fox Providence, The Rhode Show, Matunuck Oyster Farm, 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 or by email at info@newportwaterfrontevents.com. Also, follow Newport Waterfront Events on Instagram and Twitter and become a fan on Facebook at facebook.com/waterfrontevents.

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