Downtown New Bedford Inc. and BayCoast Bank are sponsoring the 11th annual New Bedford Seaport Chowder Festival on September 25, from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m., on City Pier 3.

According to South Coast Today.com, tickets to the festival will allow visitors to taste samples from All Friends Smokehouse, Autumn Glen, The Black Whale, Brazilian Grill, Brookdale, Cotali Mar, Cove Surf & Turf, Destination Soups, Fay's, Freestone's City Grill, EJ's, Mike's, The Olive Garden, Seaport Inn, Galley Grill, Tia Maria's European Café, and other restaurants.

The tasting goes until 3 p.m., with live music and awards through 5 p.m.

The festival has competitions for People's Choice and Judge's Choice, which is decided by the votes of attendees and another portion which is decided by a blind taste test conducted by a panel of three local food critics.

The first-place winners in the Judge’s Blind Taste Test competition will be awarded a grand prize of $1,000. Winners in the Seafood Chowder, Specialty Soups, Kale Soup and Stuffed Quahog categories will each receive $250.

The annual YMCA Lobster Races, free craft activities, fire truck rides, and photo booth pictures from Ensemble Events are also scheduled at the festival.

Tickets are $15 in advance and $18 the day of the event.  Tickets are $5 for children ages 6 to 12 and free for children 5 and younger, and will be available at the DNB office, at downtownnb.org and at other locations throughout Southcoast, including all Cardoza and Douglas wine and spirits locations.

More information is available by calling (508) 990-2777 or emailing dnb@downtownnb.org.

With additional reporting by Sal Lopez

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