Chowder Will Have its Weekend This October in Beach Haven

May 8, 2024

[Beach Haven, NJ] - Long Beach Island’s favorite chowder filled weekend will be taking on a new look in 2024. The Beach Haven Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with the Hunger Foundation of Southern Ocean County, is excited to announce the Beach Haven Chowder Cook-Off. Even though the event will be brand new this year, the Beach Haven Chowder Cook-Off will be reminiscent of all loved components of former chowder events. Some highlights will include bringing back a two-day format with a merchant mart on Saturday and a ticketed Clam Chowder Cook-Off on Sunday with many local restaurants competing for the best Red and White chowders.

The event application was approved by the Borough of Beach Haven following a presentation made by Matt Freed, Presi- dent of Beach Haven Chamber of Commerce and Todd Elsasser, Board Member at The Hunger Foundation of Southern Ocean. The Southern Ocean County Chamber of Commerce (SOCC), which has organized the Chowderfest event during this same October weekend for the past 34 years, has stepped aside from hosting the event in 2024. Local businesses and officials advocated for a revitalized and more localized weekend. “We just want to bring the event back to its roots. It’s LBI’s largest, longest-running event and it has always done what the founders intended it to do – lengthen the Fall season and spark the local economy – but it’s time to give it a facelift as we come out of a very tough few years”, said Jeremy DeFilippis, Hunger Foundation Treasurer and CEO of Jetty.

In 2023, the beloved tasting portion of Chowderfest returned and was organized by the Hunger Foundation of Southern Ocean County. Despite a good portion of the day being plagued by rain, the chowda heads turned out in droves. An estimated 6,000 people shopped, tasted chowder, and supported the local economy, allowing for The Hunger Foundation to donate $100,000 to (10) local food banks after the event. There is a shared passion from the restaurants involved to maintain a charity aspect and help feed the hungry in our surrounding areas, and the Beach Haven Chamber, a fully volun- teer organization, hopes to be able to donate to this and other local causes through this event.

“When it became clear that this event was at risk of changing drastically or not happening at all, we knew we had to offer an alternative. This weekend is so important to all businesses on the island and has a cherished history in Beach Haven that should be celebrated and preserved. The partnership with Hunger Foundation this year just made sense, and I think, regardless of reactions, everyone is excited to see this event happen”, says Matt Freed, President of the Beach Haven Cham- ber of Commerce.

“This weekend stands apart from any other on the island. In the past, planning for something like this would begin in November. However, we have a shortened timeframe this year, and we're relying heavily on our relationships with vendors, suppliers, and restaurants like never before. Our committee is comprised of local leaders who prioritize the community above all else. They are dedicated to reinvigorating the core mission of what this weekend has always been: extending the shoulder season and highlighting the essence of our community”, said Todd Elsasser, Board Member of the Hunger Foun- dation and Owner of, previous Chowderfest Champion, Panzone’s.

The Beach Haven Chowder Cook-Off will take place at Taylor Ave behind Bay Village on October 5th and 6th. The Beach Haven Chamber and the Hunger Foundation are excited to bring this event to life for the LBI community and thrilled to come together to make this an incredible weekend.

More information will be available soon, including tickets for Sunday’s Chowder Cook-Off, information on becoming a vendor at the merchant mart, and a list of entertainment for the weekend. To keep up to date with plans, please visit BHChowderCookOff.com.

About Beach Haven Chamber of Commerce

Established in 2017, The Beach Haven Chamber of Commerce is a volunteer organization comprised of local businesses whose mission is to support, enable, and promote businesses, commerce and tourism in Beach Haven. The Chamber focus- es on brining guests to Beach Haven with annual events like the Beach Haven Art Walk, 4th of July Fireworks, and a Shark Week Scavenger Hunt.

About Hunger Foundation of Southern Ocean

The Hunger Foundation of Southern Ocean is a local, all volunteer non-profit organization with a mission to support local food pantries as they assist our residents with their basic food needs and to help educate the public of the basic food needs of individuals and families in our area.

Contact: Jen Quinn
Phone: 732-552-0916
Email: BHChowderCookOff@gmail.com