Chowderfest 2026 Winners Announced!

6 days ago

3 min read

A sold-out crowd, 13 restaurants, 3 breweries, one winery, harbor cruises, live music and our sea lion imitation contest made this year’s Chowderfest one to remember!

The 7th Annual Chowderfest at the Channel Islands Maritime Museum brought the community together this past Saturday for an afternoon packed with delicious food, sunshine, music, harbor cruises and plenty of good-natured competition. The event was such a hit that online tickets sold out the day before the festival, making for an especially lively afternoon along the waterfront.

Thirteen local restaurants brought their best chowders to the table, giving guests plenty to taste and plenty to debate. Harbor cruises were offered by Fish with the Finest giving guests a chance to enjoy some time on the water, while Kelly’s Lot kept the crowd moving with fun live music.

And then there was the barking.

For the first time ever, Chowderfest featured a Sea Lion Imitation Contest, and more than 30 contestants took the challenge seriously, well, as seriously as one can take a sea lion impression. From enthusiastic barks to some truly impressive marine mammal performances, it was a hilarious new addition to the festival!

🏆 And the Chowderfest Winners Are…

After plenty of tasting, voting and enthusiastic discussion, five awards were presented to this year’s standout chowder champions. The categories of Best & Most Unique Chowders were judged by a panel of food experts including Denise Vivaldo, Jara Simpson & Dana Fulmer, while Chowderfest attendees voted for the peoples choice & Team Spirit awards. The sailors delight award was new to the event this year and given by event leadership for a dish that delighted and surprised the team:

Best Chowder & People's Choice

1st Place: Sea Fresh - New England Clam Chowder

2nd Place: Ox & Ocean - New England Clam Chowder

The people & judges have spoken! Sea Fresh took home People’s Choice as well as Best Chowder, while Ox & Ocean claimed silver in both categories.

Most Unique Chowder

1st Place: Moqueca – Feijoada

2nd Place: Portola – Cioppino

Moqueca took the top spot with their creative take on Feijoada, while Portola followed with their Cioppino. Portola knows a thing or two about this category, having won Most Unique in 2025.

⚓ Team Spirit

Winner: The Shores

Chowderfest isn't just about what's in the pot, it's about the people behind it! This award celebrates the restaurant team that brought the most enthusiasm, personality and spirit to the competition and this years award went to newcomer, The Shores!

Sailor’s Delight

Winner: Mother’s Tacos – Mexican Style Chowder

Mother’s Tacos sailed away with the Sailor’s Delight award for their Mexican Style Chowder, bringing a unique and wonderful addition to this year's Chowderfest.

🦭 And Then Came the Bark-Off…

The first-ever Sea Lion Imitation Contest may have been new to Chowderfest, but it certainly made an impression.

With more than 30 contestants stepping up to the microphone, the museum was treated to an impressive range of barks, howls and sea lion-inspired sounds. It was silly, unexpected and a whole lot of fun, and judging by the crowd’s reaction, this is a Chowderfest tradition that’s here to stay.

Congratulations to our winners:

1st Place: Diver Jeremiah

2nd Place: Mindy Lemoine

3rd Place: Amy Mandel

We’re already wondering what next year’s sea lion impressions will sound like.

Thank You for Making Chowderfest So Special!

Events like Chowderfest don’t happen without a tremendous amount of community support. We’re incredibly grateful to the participating restaurants, breweries, winery, our musicians, volunteers, harbor cruise partner, event sponsors and, most importantly, everyone who came out to eat, laugh, listen to music, cruise the harbor and cheer on the competitors.

Seeing the event sell out online before the big day for the second year in a row was an incredible achievement for the museum, and watching the harbor come alive with our community made it even more special.

Proceeds from Chowderfest support the non-profit Channel Islands Maritime Museum and help us preserve our maritime heritage, share our collections and provide educational programs for the community.

Thank you for making Chowderfest 2026 one for the books and for helping us prove that there’s always room for a little more chowder, a little more music and a lot more barking.