Chowder Festival to Return to Prescott Park

Prescott Park Arts Festival presents the 28th annual WOKQ Chowder Festival, Saturday, June 2. Gates open at 11:30 a.m., and chowder will be served until it is gone.

is a way for Seacoast residents and tourists to sample traditional New England fare by local culinary artisans. Casual chowder consumers, as well as connoisseurs, flood the gates for the opportunity to dip their spoons in the rich concoctions being ladled out liberally throughout the day. If you're a fan of the chowdah, what better way to spend an afternoon surrounded by a captive lineup of the area's finest creators?

Kicking off the summer season, visitors to beautiful Prescott Park make Chowder Festival a "go-to event." Each year, more than 4,000 people come out and taste over 20 varieties of chowder, casting their vote for Best Chowder. The Judge's choice will be conducted by a panel featuring Taste of the Seacoast Magazine, and celebrity food critic Rachel Forrest. Free for members, admission is $10 for adults and $5 for children, with an additional $1 spoon deposit.

Some of the restaurants that will be participating in Chowder Festival this year are Newick's Lobster House, Zahtar, The Old Salt, Al's Seafood, Robert's Maine Grill, Portsmouth Gas Light Co., Bob's Clam Hut, McIntyre Ski Area, and more.

"This is the premier chowder festival in the Northeast," says Ben Anderson, Executive Director of the Prescott Park Arts Festival. "Being that the Northeast and more specifically, the Seacoast are so well versed in chowder, this is one of the prestigious competitions all participating restaurants are hoping to capture. Having the best chowder around as voted by the judges and/or the people? That's saying something."

General Manager, John Moynihan, says, "After an unusually bare winter, festival members and patrons can find comfort in knowing the Chowder Festival is back once again - righting their psyche's and initiating some degree of normalcy in their lives. Where there was a lack of white stuff during the winter months, rest assured that there will be no shortage of white stuff traveling from ladle to bowl. Chowder, as always, is where it's at! I'm looking forward to opening the gates - not only for Chowder Fest, but for our entire season as well. The time has come."

Since 1974, Prescott Park Arts Festival has successfully reached over 3.5 million people through more than 10,000 music, theater, dance, and art productions offered at no fixed admission. The 38th season will feature Willy Wonka as the festival's signature musical production, a variety of international artists including Ani DiFranco, and Shawn Colvin as part of the River House Restaurant Concert Series, and several music festivals.

Submitted by Ben Anderson, executive director, Prescott Park Arts Festival