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Russell McAleavey and Sommer Constabile of Astoria at last year’s Chowderfest. (Credit: Vera Chinese)

Prepare your spoons!

One of New Suffolk’s biggest annual events is returning this Memorial Day weekend. This year marks the tenth anniversary of the New Suffolk Waterfront Fund’s annual Chowderfest.

The afternoon attracts hundreds to the waterfront for live music, barbecue, face painting for kids, colorful flowers for sale and, of course, a variety of chowder to taste.

“The event is very much a community builder,” said Barbara Butterworth, co-chair of the chowder committee. “We love to bring people down to the waterfront to experience the beauty and wonder of being by the seashore.”

This year, two of the four volunteer-made chowders will be made with clams donated from Braun Seafood Co. in Cutchogue. The menu includes New England clam chowder, Long Island clam chowder, bacon corn chowder and a vegetarian corn chowder. Case’s Place is also donating a Manhattan clam chowder to sample.

Cornell Cooperative Extension will also be on hand to discuss the Long Island Shellfish Restoration Project. The $15.5 million initiative aims to improve the quality of our local waters, restore native shellfish populations and increase shellfish nursery areas in the waters surrounding Long Island.

The New Suffolk Waterfront Fund is a non-profit that owns, manages and maintains the land at the edge of New Suffolk. The Chowderfest, which was founded in the kitchen on one of the organization’s members a decade ago, is one of two major fundraising events it holds each year — the other being Art, Oysters and Champagne, which is scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 2.

Tickets are $25 per adult; $5 for children 6 through 11 and free for anyone younger. Tickets can be purchased online here.

The event will take place along the waterfront at Main and First streets from noon to 3 p.m. Parking and transportation will be available from Wickham’s Fruit Farm at 28700 Main Road in Cutchogue. From there a shuttle bus will transport patrons to the Chowderfest. A rain date is scheduled for Monday, May 28.

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