EASTON, Pa. — The 10th anniversary of Clam Jam on Sunday brought hundreds of seafood fans out to Easton for the yearly celebration of seafood put on by Third and Ferry Fish Market.
The free festival included dozens of other food stands and vendors on the streets near the restaurant, plus live music on a stage set up at Third Street and Ferry Street.
In its marquee events, local restaurants and homebrewers competed in chowder and homebrew competitions where attendees could pay to sample all of the entries and vote for their favorites.
“We really hope to keep it as a community block party feel. If there's a way we could preserve that while growing, that's what we would hope for.”Rebecca Pichetto, who with her husband, Mike, owns Third and Ferry Fish Market
The soup competition is fierce, said Mario Fonseca, who helped dish out the Iron Mule’s take on a classic New England clam chowder.
“I think we did a great job,” Fonseca said. “I feel confident that we might win, but in the end it's whoever has the best.”
This year, Monster Deli’s chowder beat out entries from 10 other local restaurants for the People's Choice title, while a panel of judges selected the chowder from Pearly Baker’s Alehouse.
Though the homebrewers are not professionals, their competition is just as stiff.
“You want something that's going to stand out a little bit, be a little bit different, and try and get the popular vote,” said Mark McKernan, of King of Prussia, Montgomery County, who entered his jalapeño ale and honey orange wheat beer in the contest.
Apple Butter Brewing won the People’s Choice contest with its Czech 1-2 Czech-style pilsner, while the panel of judges awarded first place to Melody Stout’s “Pineapple Paradise” mead.
Happy as a clam with growing fest
Both contests date to the first Clam Jam in 2014, when Third and Ferry Fish Market owners imagined a new seafood festival timed to close out the summer while supporting local businesses.
That year’s Jam “was like an experiment. If it was going to be good, it was going to be good,” said Rebecca Pichetto, who co-owns the restaurant with her husband, Mike.
It went well, and so they decided to try it again the next year.
“It kind of was like that for the first few years, until we really saw it had legs and we were able to be a little bit more forward thinking."Rebecca Pichetto, who with her husband, Mike, owns Third and Ferry Fish Market
“It kind of was like that for the first few years, until we really saw it had legs and we were able to be a little bit more forward thinking,” she said.
Over the past decade, the festival has steadily grown, adding new vendors, areas and sponsors.
The owners of Third and Ferry Fish Market said they plan for Clam Jam to keep expanding, but have no ambition of becoming as large as some of Easton's marquee festivals, such as BaconFest.
“We really hope to keep it as a community block party feel,” Pichetto said. “If there's a way we could preserve that while growing, that's what we would hope for.”
