Chowder Fest returns to celebrate Troy October 13

By Nippertown Staff On Oct 3, 2019

Downtown Troy and Monument Square will be the place to be on Sunday, October 13, 2019, from 12 to 4 pm. Troy ChowderFest will bring food, drinks, and entertainment in its thirteenth year of celebration.

Downtown Troy presents a fun-filled and delicious day for guests to experience the annual chowder competition among some of the city’s finest chefs. Your palette will be happily satisfied, with 16 competitors and 25 soups to taste! The decadent chowders range from flavors such as Ham & Potato Chowder, Oatmeal Stout Brat and Cheddar Chowder, Lobster Roasted Corn Chowder to classic New England Clam Chowder. Vegetarian options are also in the running with Wild Mushroom Fajita Chowder, Coconut Gochujang Sweet Potato (vegan), and a Potato & Leek Chowder (vegan).

Past winners will return to defend their titles, while new competitors join in the challenge. Tickets are $1 each and are redeemable for one 3 oz. bowl of chowder from a participating competitor. Tickets can be purchased at Monument Square with additional locations at Barker Park and the Green Island Bridge Parking Lot, starting at 12:00 p.m.

Competitors with Downtown Troy locations will serve out of their storefronts, while cooks from outside the downtown perimeter will serve in Monument Square, River Street, and Broadway. Entertainment and craft vendors will be located throughout the district as well.

Your favorite Chowder Trolley is back with transportation throughout downtown for traveling to competitor establishments, eateries, and businesses. Shop, Dine and Explore the different streets for sidewalk sales of clothing, furniture, comics, and Made-In-Troy items! A variety of music will guide you through downtown with DJ Debonair of Uforia Entertainment, Intell Hayesfield, Radio Radio X with River Street Beat Shop and DJ Trumastr. The live performance schedule in Monument Square includes: The Age (1:30 – 3 pm), and Hartley’s Encore (3-4:00 pm).

This is an all-ages, family-friendly event with kid-friendly interactive performances by The Magic & Illusions of Jeffrey Jene and Music Together with Deb Cavenaugh. Make sure to check out the Kid’s Zone, sponsored by Bash Birthday Parties and Stewart’s Shops, offering a pumpkin painting project and includes activities with TSL Adventures. Get a made-to-order balloon animal or have your face painted by Twisty Balloon Fun, Face Painting by Remi and Silly Shan’s Face Painting. Alongside the Chowder Trolley, Train Time Express will have rides for the family, taking them throughout the streets of downtown Troy. It is an afternoon filled with family fun!

This year, Chefs are competing for the title of Most Original, Best Seafood, Best Vegetarian, Best Booth, People’s Choice and Judges Choice. Judging the competition will be Joel Miller, an Elite Member of Yelp! Albany, Joan Porambo and Kyle Macpherson of Field Notes, Amy Koren-Roth of Taste of Troy Food Tours and Dylan Turek, Director of Economic Development from the City of Troy.

Enjoy ChowderFest and all that Troy has to offer on Sunday, October 13, 2019, from 12 pm – 4 pm.

For more information on the 13^th Annual ChowderFest, visit DowntownTroy.org.