Chowda

[colt17]

is the Meredith Chowda Fest this weekend?

[upthesaukee]

According to the Calendar for October on this website, it's Sat & Sun.

[jniff101]

I thought it was only Sunday?

[Sunrise Point]

According to today's Laconia Citizen:

On Sunday, taste and vote on chowders prepared by restaurants from throughout the Lakes Region at the 23rd annual Chowderfest on from noon to 3 p.m.

Organized by WLNH, the Chowderfest brings together local restaurants and the community in a fun and flavorful fall fundraiser to benefit the Lakes Region Conservation Trust. Held at Hesky Park in Meredith on the shores of Lake Winnipesaukee, this popular event draws people from near and far to sample chowders and vote on which restaurant will win the Lakes Region's Best Chowder title and claim the Chowder Bowl for the upcoming year.

It costs $5 to participate in Chowderfest. Funds raised from Chowderfest are donated each year to the Lakes Region Conservation Trust, a nonprofit organization founded in 1979 to safeguard the natural heritage of New Hampshire's Lakes Region.


The weather should be perfect for chowder. I can't wait.

[upthesaukee]

Craft fair is Sat and Sun. Chowderfest is Sun. My white cane tripped up my seeing eye dog and I couldn't see what I was reading.

[colt17]

We were a little disappointed with the lack of restaurants participating in this year’s chowder fest. I think there were only 5 possible 6 restaurants in attendance. They filled the space with water companies, window companies and steel hill resort. Because of the lack of restaurants the lines were very long. The weather was perfect and the lake was very calm and the chowda that we did have was very good.

[SAMIAM]

The reason there are so few restaurants is strickly the cost, I'm sure. It costs a restaurant upwards of $1,000 between food and payroll to do the chowderfest and that's really a lot to ask considering there are so many other charities that are needing help. Just a sign of the times.

[Winnigirl83]

Anyone know who won?

[angela4design]

The winner this year was the Christmas Island Steakhouse, with Weirs Beach Lobster Pound as the runner-up and the Lakehouse Grill at Church Landing at third (they were boiling the lobsters on-site, cracking open and throwing them fresh into the chowder)!!

They were all good. Lakeside Restaurant had good chowder, and people kept coming back for more, so they ran out just before the end. T-Bones had a little spicy kick to it, and Steele Hill's restaurant had a pretty traditional chowder. There was one window company and a roofing company that sponsored the event. A water company supplied flitered water, and the Conservation Trust had a great display. The lines were long at the beginning; they always are, even with more restaurants, but over 1,200 people were there, so that's a lot of people to get in and out of a tent!

SAMIAM's correct, it is quite an investment in people and product to compete. I've heard around $1,000 is the cost, as well. But, it is a great event for the town economy, the community, the restaurants get great exposure, and we get some yummy chowder to try!!

[VitaBene]

We went down to the Fest and had a great time. 15 of us went together arriving around 2 (my family for part of my parent's 50th weekend) and found a good crowd. It was not bad, just a few minutes in each line. I will definitely bring my own full size plastic spoon next year!

All of the chowders were good and represented their respective restaurants well. Christmas Island was my favorite. I chatted with the owners/staff about the winter and they said they are new operators and will be open through the winter ( I think I will start a separate Christmas Island thread).

I saw Angela and said hi and also saw forum member Natt who volunteered his dump truck as the mobile dumpster.

The craft fair across the road at Mill's falls was a good take as well.