Harborfest in Sea Isle City Set for Oct. 1: Fresh Seafood, Vendors, Crafts & More!

SEA ISLE CITY — The Sea Isle City Chamber of Commerce and Revitalization will host its annual Harborfest celebration on Saturday, Oct. 1. The event will be held at 42nd Place and the Bay from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and will feature a variety of delicious seafood options, vendors selling crafts, accessories, collectibles and more.

“Harborfest kicks off the Chamber’s fall event lineup and it’s an event that we look forward to each year,” says Barbara Steele, the event coordinator. “We have a variety of local vendors participating in this year’s event, and the raw clam-eating contest and the chowder contest are always fun to watch and participate in. It’s going to be a great time that the entire family can enjoy in Sea Isle City.”

The Harborfest Chowder Contest will begin at 1 p.m. and will feature delicious chowders from area restaurants. For $5, guests will “blind” taste test their way through the contest, sampling each restaurant’s chowder and then placing a vote for their favorite. The restaurant with the most votes will be crowned the 2016 Harborfest Chowder Champion and will receive a trophy. Previous champions include Casino Pizza, Braca Café and DeNunzio’s Brick Oven Pizza & Grille.

A Blessing of the Fleet ceremony will be held at 2 p.m. along the fishing docks at 42nd Place. Local religious leaders will participate in the ecumenical service that will also feature bagpipe music.

Following the ceremony, the raw clam-eating contest will be held at 3 p.m. Participants will race to eat the largest number of raw bivalves in the shortest amount of time. This year’s winner will receive a trophy and a gift certificate to The Lobster Loft. There is a $20 entry fee to participate and the proceeds will benefit the Mike’s Seafood Polar Bear Run/Walk for Autism.

Join the Sea Isle City Chamber of Commerce and Revitalization on Saturday, Oct. 1 to revel in the crisp fall air and enjoy all that Harborfest has to offer.

For more information, visit www.seaislechamber.com or email sicccr@gmail.com.