Great Chowder Cook-off

Great event, great chowder and fantastic weather. My entire good enjoyed. Best festival I have been to in ages.

I had a good time once again, but I miss it being at the Yachting Center where you were right in the heart of Newport.

I've been to almost all of the Newport chowder festivals. some better than others. I always enjoy them BUT I know some people were disappointed w/ the lack of participating restaurants this year which creates long lines & restaurants running out. BUT I also know they have been through a lot to keep it going w/ the venue change. I think they just need time to bring it back around. the new venue is good BUT what I don't like is being corralled in to get & have a cocktail. other than that people need to lighten up a little ! LOL I'll keep going ;-)

After 26 straight years of attendance, I feel that something is missing at the Chowder Cook-Off over the last 3 years at Fort Adams State Park... Sure miss the days of the Newport Yachting Center, and even though we can never go back there... Having it at Fort Adams, seems a bit far away from it all... We cannot even attempt to leave the Chowder Cook-Off for even an hour or two to stroll downtown and come back to Fort Adams... Too far with traffic to get in and out of Fort Adams to do so. Was always able to split up the day at NYC by strolling downtown, and coming back to the Chowder Cook-Off around 3 or 4 pm to enjoy the remainder of the day.. Would recommend bringing back the little booths that use to be at the NYC, that would sell different items. Only saw 1 or 2 at Fort Adams... Would extend the Chowederhead Hour from one to two hours, from 11-1, with general admission beginning at 1pm... Then finally move it back to the 1st Saturday in June if possible... Thanks and see you next year! Mike...

The competition was fierce , the music was awesome. Fort Adams is a beautiful place to hold this. I'm looking forward to next year.

The chowder (as well as the perks of being an early access guest i.e. can holders, prizes, etc.) was absolutely amazing! This was by far one of the best years of the Great Chowder Cook-off! Won Pawtucket Red Sox tickets, and I got to taste chowder from different cultures, like Ireland. Just absolutely wonderful experience. 10/10 would recommend!

Nice event but not worth $20.00 ticket price. Surprisingly there was not one chowder that we really liked. Still a nice day on the water.

Been to this event handful of times and bottom line you need to go. The quality of the chowders has seriously gone down over the years, suspect it's because some restaurants won and don't compete anymore or were relegated to chowder hall of fame. There used to be twice as many restaurants competing. That said, it's still a good family day.

Not many chowder vendors. Having a contest between few contenders is not a contest.

Awesome time. Beautiful place to host the event: Would definitely go back!

The great chowder cook-off was held at beautiful Fort Adams. The chowder was great and the event was extremely organized and not too crowded for the space. Great views of the bridge, sailboats, and Narragansett Bay. Free parking a plus!

I was disappointed with this year's chowder cook-off. I drove 100 miles to get there and stayed overnight so I could get there early and avoid the traffic. A waste of time and money. This year there were only 16 participants and 4 of them had Manhattan chowder. If I wanted that I would have gone to New York. I did not like any of the chowders. There was not one creamy New England clam chowder to be had. They were all spiced up to make them different. Some had pieces of potato so large I was looking for a knife to cut them down to size. Some were yellow in color. If I had been served that in a restaurant I would have sent it back. Many had Portuguese flavoring. My local Big Y supermarket sells hot clam chowder that is far superior to anything I tasted at Fort Adams. Last year there was a participant who had excellent, white, creamy seafood chowder. It was so good I went back 5 times. They were not there this year. I will not return next year. Instead I will go to the Boston Chowder fest which I heard was excellent.

We had a great time at the Chowda cookoff! Not only could you sample different chowders, but you could also tour Fort Adams after you purchase tickets to enter the fort. That was informative and very interesting! Our tour guide was great!

Event was much better than last year. Been going for years and this would have been last time if it was not improvement from last year. Good job.

This was a great event. The weather was great. The chowder was great. Lines were not that bad. Only problem was that there was no where to get away from the sun. No shade. I would recommend that the organizers have empty tents next year for people to cool off. Would go again though!!

Had a great time again... Glad to see the Music Stage and Culinary Stage with Chef Timothy back this year, after a year off... This was my 27th straight Chowder Festival. I sure miss the downtown atmosphere of the Yachting Club, but I understand it is either Fort Adams or nothing. So we improvise and adjust accordingly to its new home... Hopefully the committee will take SERIOUS CONSIDERATION to moving it back to the 1st Saturday in June, as the Father's Day weekend, is really a busy time, and not really a great weekend to have the Cook-off... So PLEASE June 3rd, 2017 for the 36th Annual event...

I didn't think the Newport Chowder Festival could get any better than what it's been in the past. I was wrong ; the new location at Fort Adams State Park is totally, totally awesome --(last year was the first year at the park and I couldn't make that date) the chowder was fantastic -- some of the best ever! The grounds at the park are absolutely beautiful. My family had such a wonderful time and look forward to it every year!!! BEST LOCATION FOR CHOWDER FESTIVAL!!!!

not handicap assemble I'm in a wheelchair they had us park in the farthest parking lot had to be pushed over road ways and bad sidewalks then all the tents are in grass hard to get over to them they give you a shot glass of chowder at each tent you can get as much as you want but they are not that great out of ten there was only one that I liked if you bought food at one of the venders it was expensive 40 dollars to get in two waters two Dell's Lemonades a lobster roll a chicken sandwich it cost over 100.00 dollars they had no plaice to sit and no band I would not go again

We were not going to go based on the 2015 event after having gone for over 20 years. A few more contestants for 2017 and it's a win win!

Great food, entertainment, and drink. Fort Adams was a great choice. Scenery was great looking out to the Newport Bridge with all the sail boats in the harbor.

Great day at the Chowder Cook-off. First time there. Lots of food and fun. Free parking. Loved Davenport's Seafood Chowder the best!! Will come back again!!

Went to numerous cook-offs and being at Fort Adams gave us plenty of room which makes it one of the best.

I enjoyed the fact that from the time you arrive, there are people coming at you with trays of chowder. Good energy, beautiful day. A nice way to enjoy what RI has to offer.

Was beautiful day could have used a few shaded spots.

The chowder and people serving it were great as usual. I just don't like it at Fort Adams. This was my first year there and I thought it was great that there was free parking. However, I didn't know I had to walk about 20 minutes to get to the event. I would have rather paid if it meant parking closer. What happened to all the tents??? The Yachting Center had tents. There was absolutely no shade unless you paid for alcohol. Then you could sit under a tent. The last thing I felt like doing in that heat was drink alcohol. I stayed about an hour, which was not long at all for me. I gave it three stars because I love the event, but not the location.

The early access is the best way to go. Let me tell you why. The early access is 5 dollars cheaper per ticket and you avoid all the lines that start around 1 and after. You can sample all of the chowder and vote early so you can enjoy the rest of the day at this beautiful site. Then, because you started so early, you can leave and come back if you wish while the crazy crowds line up for a sip of chowder that you already had a few of because you, wait for it, came early and beat the crowds. Enjoy the sites, the music and the wonderful food offerings.

After a disappointing 2015 season, the 2016 Great Chowder Cookoff returned to form. 21 entries of very good chowder samples. Only reason not rated higher is to get to 30-35 entries would be better. Set-up of restaurants sample tents, adult beverage area, food trucks and stages were done better also.

As an avid new england chowder fan, this was one of my all time favorite food events. Beautiful setting right at the fort, and the food was out of this world. Everyone had their favorites, and some of us went back for seconds and thirds. I'll definitely be going back next year and bringing more friends.

This year's chowder fest was almost as good as the old days at the yachting center ! & I'm sure will continue to move forward at this new location. it was good to see more competitors & I liked the "BEST of the BEST" category ! great move to attract more competitors ! the only concern would be the weather ?? this year was perfect ! but could be a washout it it were to rain w/o more tents. also don't like the corral situation w/ the bars. it's chowda fest so you should be able to move around freely w/ a cocktail to enjoy the chowda & other happenings.

Another great year at the chowderfest!! Weather was awesome. Lots of delicious chowder - it made it hard to vote for the best!! So many nice businesses with great personalities! Only downfall was having to go to a designated area for cocktails! Kind of a bummer. That's the sad part about having it at a state park now! And those areas didn't provide enough shade for guests who were baking in the heat! Absolutely needed more tents to sit under!

Funny to think there were doubts this and other Newport Waterfront Events wouldn't happen will the selling of the Newport Yatching Center BUT it was a blessing in disguise - Fort Adams is going to make a MUCH better location. More scenic, more room (more vendors and more customers) means this year should actually be the best yet. Last year it was full and I couldn't get in. This year I was smart and bought in advance - Plus I bought the pass to beat the crowds for the first time _The Chowder spotters club. That mean I'll know the winner before the public comes in (i have a 9/10 record for selecting the one who's going to place 1st in the New England Category and a 7/10 in seafood and 6/10 in creative!

great time to try new chowders worth the trip must do every year

Very disappointed with the event. We had attended several times in the past when it was held in the harbor area and there were so many more vendors...including local restaurants. This event at Fort Adams had a grand total of 8 vendors - 4 clam varieties and 4 seafood (actually 7 because one had both clam and seafood). Definitely not worth the money. Besides the lack of variety, we missed the friendly competition between local restaurants. Because it was moved to this area, I thought there were going to be MORE vendors, not less. There were far more food options to buy that were not included in your ticket price. Making this more disappointing was the fact that we brought friends with us that we had talked up the event to. Good news about the event - the music was fantastic and the vendors that were there were very nice!

We have been attending this event for over 30 years and wouldn t miss it. However, after moving to the new location at Fort Adams, less competitors entered. Over the last 3 years we have seen less and less competitors and sponsors to the point where there were only 8-10 competitors this year. No crowds, no excitement. I have to say I think this long-awaited annual event has lost its appeal. In fact, all the competitors are now flocking to the chowderfest in westport, CT in the fall. That even has over 40 competitors and is just like the old Newport RI event used to be!

So my family and i look forward to the chowder festival every year. This year there was more vendors selling product and about 6 chowder vendors.

Compared to the previous year there s a lot of room for improvement! Only had six stands this year, lines were ridiculous! 20 minutes for a sample. Wanted to bring our baby yorkie in with us but was told service dogs only which is understandable but when we went in we saw dogs that weren t or didn t have their vest/tag on.

I have been going to this for many years and always loved it. But so few competitors participated this year, it was very disappointing. They had more food buying options than previous years, but the food prices were very high and the quality was not that good. $25 for a dozen clam cakes and difficult to find clams!! The best part was the bar/bartenders and the breeze off the ocean. I love the waterfront there, but also liked having it in downtown Newport previously because of so many other options you could walk to for food, drinks or even some shopping. Hope they have more vendors next year or it could be my last.

disappointed that they only had 7 chowder stations. we were in and out in 30 minutes In the past there were 18+ chowders to try. Clearly should not have been charged so much or more important it should have been treated as a free event

To park within 1 mile of event you must buy early tickets for 11:00 AM. This year only 7 booths instead of 20 or more. After driving 5 hours it was a rip off. This was my 12th year and unless more entries show up it will be my last year to attend.

It was still a lot of fun but it seems to get fewer chowder competitors each year!!

Have been attending for over 25+ years and never was more disappointed than this past Saturday... How can you call it a chowder festival with only 7 venues participating... A far cry from previous years when you had over 20+ venues. I hope it gets better next year or lower the entrance fee to $10, because that is all it was worth in 2018.

Great location. Good food and drinks. Variety of chowders to taste. Always a fun day.

The competitor turnout at the Chowder Cook off was very disappointing . There were only a handful of them this year. I've been when there were upwards of 15 to 20 entrants. Now that's a competition!

the chowder was outstanding, the only issue I had was I don't understand why people form lines to get a sample of chowder instead of just grabbing one and walking away, I have been past years and it worked a lot better, it would also help if the contestants had people circulating with samples on trays, Only one booth had people going around and they won my vote for most spirited. Waiting in line for ten minutes each was ridiculous

There were only 8 tents of chowder this year which was extremely disappointing. Still $20-$25 for way fewer tents. Not sure if I will go next year

There seemed to be more food trucks than chowder categories. So....essentially we paid $20 for a whole bowl of chowder. Also, could not bring an alcoholic beverage outside of the bar area. The setup was much better when it was located in town several years ago when we attended. If we could have asked for a refund, we would have! Very disappointed and will certainly not be attending in the future.

Need more booths for chowder like when it was in town... like 15 booths when I was growing up...lack of locals. But this picture is awesome with Kip and tony

Ive been a chowdahead for 10 years! Its been a disappointing change from the wharf! First year at fort adams was awful with only 5 booths and large lines. i gave it a chance for the second year and it did get better with more booths but i was extremely disappointed again when there were only 10 booths for such a large location! It will never be the same as it was at the wharf its just unfortunate! :(

I have been to quite a few of these events and by far this one was the worst. Only 8 vendors were sampling their chowders. Not much to brag about if you win!!! I will not be back next year. Too bad because it has been fun in the past.

Awesome event at a spacious venue. I would like to see more seating available for those, like myself, that have mobility issues and need to sit and rest often.

I Wil not attend next year have been every year for the past 15and this was the worst

Awful. Definitely not what it used to be. Only 8 chowder participants. Lines extremely long and not worth the $20. My advice....,, get more participants!!!!! Much better when held on Thames St.

As like many people that attend, we have been going to the Chowder Fest for many years. The amount of participants has been going down the last few years. .And they are pretty much the same folks. Attendence seemed to be down as well. Our House was a nice suprise as I have seen them in Connecticut ( the best Chowda Fest on east coast). The vendors are usually the same (and good). Sorry note; Matunic Oyster bar was selling oysters so small for $3 each. Not good. The beer area had plenty of tables and chairs this year. Seemed like it was split half and half on crown size between beer area and vendor. Overall it makes a nice day, but the organizers need to step it up if they want this event to coninue. Look to the Chowda Fest in Connecticut. They got it down!

there was only 10 vendors for chowder there. and 3 of them were good. the bars were not stocked correctly . they didnt have any soda for mixed drinks. . they need to have more things to do there especially with a lot of ppl bringing children now, they should prob think of having a bouncy house for kids, some cornhole and games of that nature especially when there is only 10 to try. i been going since day 1, and that might of been my last one if it doesnt change and i usually go with about 20 of us. not a good time this year.

We always go to the Chowder Festival and have gone for 28 years. Always a good time. A few things I would hope to see in the future: more food for young children...chicken nuggets, small orders of fries, milk, cotton candy. Last year there was face painting and balloon art and bean toss. Nothing this year, at least not during the Chowda Club early entry time. The list of participating restaurants seems to be dwindling. Still a good day. Every Chowder Festival when the sun is out I always tell my family: "God loves CHOWDER".

Attended last year-there were 20+ chowders entered. This year there were only 8. Not enough to accommodate all of the people attending. Long lines for a tiny cup of chowder. There were a lot of other venders there which made it a nice day.

So I've been going for MANY MANY years now since I was a kid and I've only ever missed 2 years since I started coming. I think everyone forgets that if you eat boatloads of chowdah, which is the whole point, then...You got your money's worth. I'll be the first to admit that the first year the event was at Fort Adams was pitiful, but it was because it originally wasn't supposed to happen at all so competitors couldn't prepare in time to come out (not many) and noone made enough because they THOUGHT attendance would drop. OOPS. Now I admit I wasn't there last year but two years ago it was...Fine. And three years ago was amazing. All things considered all you can eat chowder for 20 bucks ain't bad at all. And while I did say two years ago was just okay (because not too many competitors, I admit) what competitors WHERE there had quality chowder. I read reviews for the 2017 Cook Off that complained of No creamy chowder (WHICH SCARED ME SINCE I LOVE CREAMY) and another about how there we only 12 competitors 4 of which were Manhattan so...THAT I agree with. Here's to hoping this year (Which is in just a few days now...) is better BUT I HAVE TO REMEMBER the whole point of going: Try all the Chowders, pick your fave, then GORGE YOURSELF ON IT! You'd be surprised how many competitors will shout out: "I don't care if you ate ours twice already, eat it a third time!" And if they don't then they won't win...

We have been coming to the Chowderfest for some 25 years and it's always been a GREAT TIME, rain or shine!!!

The Chowder cook-off was an amazing event. I will surely be looking to buy tickets again next year. It was fun and low-key.. There was no rush.. We got to try every chowder as many times as we liked. It was a great time for all. :) :)

As always the contestants were happy and engaging with the crowd. This is our go to event every year, and we LOVE it. We also have a pretty good record with voting for the winners!

I've been coming to the festival for a few years. I've always enjoyed it. I have to say that my least favorite year was when they first moved into fort adams, but everything had improved since then, which is to be expected. I did miss the Matunuck lobster roll this year. Aside from that, the chowder is great, the atmosphere is fun and I'll definitely keep going back.

Didn't really enjoy the Chowder Festival this year as much as we had in previous years. Not exactly sure why. I know not having enough water on hand to be sold was a big deal. Always a nice day in Newport though.