Fresh Catch
The Hampton Beach Seafood Festival is back!
A year after its first cancellation in three decades, the Hampton Beach Seafood Festival returns to Ocean Boulevard Friday, Sept. 10, through Sunday, Sept. 12, with dozens of local restaurants and specialty food vendors offering an array of seafood options, from lobster rolls and fried clams to homemade chowders, bisques and more. The festival will also feature local crafters, live entertainment and a fireworks display.
“When we made the decision that we were going to move forward with the festival, we wanted to make sure that it would provide a lot of fun for people, but also make it very safe,” said John Nyhan, president of the Hampton Area Chamber of Commerce. “So the first thing we did was we redesigned the layout, primarily on the street, and we reduced the sizes of the tents to make more open space. … We also eliminated one of the major tents on the street, which was one of our two beer tents. So we’ve created a layout now where there is a lot more open space and people don’t feel like they’re crammed into these large tents walking side by side.”
More than 35 food vendors are expected to attend, including many returning favorites as well as a few newcomers. The Old Salt Restaurant at Lamie’s Inn in Hampton, which hasn’t missed a single festival since its inaugural year in 1989, according to Nyhan, is back once again. Brown’s Lobster Pound of Seabrook, Petey’s Summertime Seafood and Bar of Rye, and the Boardwalk Cafe & Pub of Hampton are a few other past participants.
New faces to the festival include Swell Oyster Co., which has been harvesting fresh Atlantic oysters in Hampton Harbor since 2017. Last year, owners Russ Hilliard and Conor Walsh opened the Swell Oyster Shack, their first retail space, on the Hampton State Pier.
Many of the vendors will compete for titles in several categories, like Best Chowder, Best Lobster Roll, Best Fried Seafood and others, as determined by a panel of judges — the tasting contest begins at 2 p.m. on Friday, and winners are announced on the Main Stage that evening.
“We’ll hand out the ribbons for these food vendors, and then they can put them on their tents showing that they won the best prize in that category,” Nyhan said.
There are plenty of options for non-seafood-eaters too, like french fries, chicken fingers, hot dogs and barbecue items, plus specialty desserts. Always a draw during the festival, members of the North Hampton Fire Department serve breakfast sandwiches first thing on Saturday morning.
Throughout the weekend is a full schedule of live musicians, performing on one of two stages. More than 75 local crafters selling their wares are also participating.
A new feature of the festival, the Pine Hospitality Group of Hampton is sponsoring an art show, featuring local artists that will be painting murals all day Friday at the Beach Cabana Bar. Each artist will have the opportunity to win a People’s Choice award for their work.
Culinary demonstrations from NESN’s Wicked Bites are scheduled between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday. Saturday’s special events will also include two cornhole tournaments, the second of which will have signup opportunities that day. Cash prizes will be awarded to the top three winners.
At 3 p.m. on Saturday, local organizations will gather on the Main Stage for a tribute to the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks. The New Hampshire Police Association Pipes and Drums, as well as six local school color guards, will be in attendance.
Saturday’s festivities will conclude with a fireworks display on the beach at 8:30 p.m. Sunday will kick off with a 5K road race that morning, held along Ocean Boulevard and ending at the Beach Cabana Bar. As the festival winds down, a lobster roll eating contest will take place at 2 p.m. on the Main Stage, with Gov. Chris Sununu as the honorary master of ceremonies.
— Matt Ingersoll
32nd annual Hampton Beach Seafood Festival
When: Friday, Sept. 10, 1 to 9 p.m.; Saturday, Sept. 11, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; and Sunday, Sept. 12, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Where: Ocean Boulevard, Hampton Beach
Cost: $10 each day for adults and free for children ages 12 and under; all foods and drinks are priced per item
Visit: seafoodfestivalnh.com
No pets are allowed. Free shuttle services are provided in a variety of parking areas nearby, including at the Hampton Park & Ride (Timber Swamp Road) and at the Municipal Parking Lot (High Street) — see website for details. Masks are required while on board the shuttle buses.
Schedule of events
Friday, Sept. 10
• 1 p.m. Festival begins; all craft, food and beer tents will be open
• 1 to 9 p.m. Live music and entertainment on both stages
• 2 p.m. Food judging contest begins; vendors will compete for titles in a variety of categories, including Best Fried Seafood, Best Chowder and Best Lobster Roll
• 6:15 p.m. Contest winners will be announced on the Main Stage
Saturday, Sept. 11
• 10 a.m. All craft, food and beer tents reopen for the day, and live entertainment resumes
• 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Culinary demonstrations with NESN’s Wicked Bites
• Noon to 4 p.m. Cornhole competitions in the Beach Cabana Bar
• 3 p.m. Sept. 11 20th anniversary tribute on the Main Stage
• 8:30 p.m. Fireworks display on the beach, presented by the Hampton Beach Village District
Sunday, Sept. 12
• 7:30 a.m. 5K road race begins, taking place along Ocean Boulevard and ending at the Beach Cabana Bar
• 9 a.m. All craft, food and beer tents reopen for the day, and live entertainment resumes
• 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Culinary demonstrations with NESN’s Wicked Bites
• 2 p.m. Lobster roll eating contest on the Main Stage
Courtesy photo.
