Wharf Fest Returns to Fisherman's Wharf October 21, 2017 with Street Fair and Sold Out Chowder Competition

Wharf Fest, San Francisco's favorite free waterfront festival, comes back for the fifth year in a row on October 21, 2017. The Fisherman's Wharf Community Benefit District is throwing the ultimate festival to celebrate San Francisco's historic waterfront district. Bay Area locals are invited to visit the district after the tourist season has ended and before San Francisco's fabulous fall climate fades away. This year's festival will include, for the fifth year, the popular Chowder Competition. The Chowder Competition has become a San Francisco favorite and sold out in September, over one month before the festival. But fear not, at the free street fair, festival goers can also visit approximately 50 booths of fine arts and crafts, beverage sampling, and more. Fisherman's Wharf loves embracing their whacky side and will be hosting a number of Wharf-centric activities such as a Segway obstacle course, a rock climbing wall, and a giant pirate ship bouncy house. The festival takes place at the intersection of Jefferson and Taylor streets, at the famous Fisherman's Wharf crab wheel sign, as well as on two blocks of Little Embarcadero street, between Taylor Street and Powell Street. The festival overlooks the San Francisco Bay, the Pier 43 promenade, and Alcatraz Island.

At Wharf Fest's Chowder Competition, 12 restaurants of Fisherman's Wharf, California's chowder capital, will battle it out for the title of Best Chowder at Fisherman's Wharf. The 2016 winners were Cioppino's, for the People's Choice award, and Blue Mermaid Restaurant, for the Judges' Choice award. This year's panel of judges includes J. Kenji Lopez-Alt, managing culinary director of Serious Eats and author of the James Beard Award-nominated column The Food Lab, Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez, from the San Francisco Examiner, and Christina and Kerri, hosts of the travel/culinary show, Culinary Escapes. Culinary Escapes will be filming a segment for the show at the Chowder Competition. Other judges are to be announced.

The following Fisherman's Wharf Restaurants will be competing in the Chowder Competition:

• Boudin's
• Castagnola's
• Cioppino's
• Fog Harbor Fish House
• Pier Market Seafood Restaurant
• The Franciscan Crab Restaurant
• McCormick & Kuleto's Seafood & Steaks
• Pescatore
• Blue Mermaid Restaurant
• Hard Rock Cafe
• The Pub
• Surisan

The street fair is free and open to the public. Tickets are sold out for Chowder Competition tasting and there will be no sales at the event.

Wharf Fest is hosted by the Fisherman's Wharf Community Benefit District and produced by Steven Restivo Event Services. Wharf Fest is sponsored by the Port of San Francisco.

Please visit WharfFest.com for more details.

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