New Take On Chowderfest In LBI This Weekend: See Details

BEACH HAVEN, NJ — A long time favorite event will get a makeover in Beach Haven this weekend, but one thing will be the same - lots of delicious chowder to taste.

Oct. 5 and 6 is the Beach Haven Chowder Cook-Off at Taylor Avenue behind Bay Village. The event replaces Chowderfest, now hosted by the Beach Haven Chamber of Commerce and the Hunger Foundation of Southern Ocean County.

“We just want to bring the event back to its roots,” Hunger Foundation treasurer and Jetty CEO Jeremy DeFilippis said in an earlier news release. “It’s LBI’s largest, longest-running event and it has always done what the founders intended it to do – lengthen the Fall season and spark the local economy – but it’s time to give it a facelift as we come out of a very tough few years.”

The two-day fest will feature a merchant mart on Saturday (10 a.m. to 5 p.m.) and the ticketed Chowder Cook-Off on Sunday with local eateries competing for best red and white chowders (11 a.m. to 4 p.m.).

“When it became clear that this event was at risk of changing drastically or not happening at all, we knew we had to offer an alternative. This weekend is so important to all businesses on the island and has a cherished history in Beach Haven that should be celebrated and preserved. The partnership with Hunger Foundation this year just made sense, and I think, regardless of reactions, everyone is excited to see this event happen,” Matt Freed, president of the Beach Haven Chamber of Commerce, said.

The white chowder competitors are:

• Joe Pop's Shore Bar and Restaurant
• Country Kettle Chowda
• Mud City Crab House
• Delaware Avenue Oyster House
• The Chicken Or The Egg

And the red chowder competitors are:

• La Bamba Mexican Restaurant
• Buckalews Restaurant & Tavern
• Wally's
• Panzone's LBI
• Lefty's Tavern

Learn more and get tickets here.