Thousands of seafood lovers are expected to descend on Ski Beach in Ventnor this weekend as the Downbeach Seafood Festival returns for two days of chowder, oysters, craft beer and live entertainment. The event runs from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, September 19, and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, September 20, on the beach off Dorset and Burk avenues.
Billed as New Jersey's original seafood festival, the event has become a staple of Ventnor's late-summer calendar, according to NJ.com. This year marks the festival's sixth in Ventnor since it relocated from Atlantic City, where organizers first launched it at Bader Field before moving the celebration to Ski Beach in 2019, as detailed by Shore Local News. The event was formerly known as the Atlantic City Seafood Festival, per Atlantic City Weekly.
The 2026 festival is privately produced and funded by Good Time Tricycle Productions, according to the event's own FAQ page. Entry costs $10 in advance or $15 at the gate per person, per day, with children under 12 admitted free, the same source notes. Organizers are also offering free remote parking and shuttle service to and from a lot at 4800 Wellington Avenue in Ventnor.
Chowder Cook-Off Raises Money for Hunger Relief
The festival's signature Chowder Cook-Off runs from noon to 4 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday, the event's schedule page states. Attendees can purchase a $10 tasting card, sample all the competing chowders and vote for their favorite restaurant, helping raise money for hunger-relief efforts along the way.
Proceeds from the cook-off benefit the Community Food Bank of New Jersey, a partnership the festival has continued for years. Last year's competition raised nearly $10,000 for the food bank, with 21 restaurants serving two-ounce chowder samples and Vagabond Kitchen and Tap House claiming the trophy, according to the same Shore Local News report cited earlier for the festival's origins.
Craft Beer, Oysters and Family Fun Round Out the Weekend
Beer drinkers 21 and older can head to the Great Brews of New Jersey tasting tent, which organizers say functions as a mini beer festival within the larger seafood celebration. The tent will include 12 New Jersey breweries, with tasting tickets priced at 10 for $10, mirroring last year's lineup that offered the same brewery count and pricing.
The festival also offers an Oyster Tour of the Shore, taking attendees on a tasting trip through New Jersey's oyster-growing regions. Dozens of regional seafood vendors will set up alongside cooking demonstrations throughout the weekend, rounding out a spread that organizers describe as fresh seafood, local flavors, craft beer, live music and family fun.
Contests and Live Entertainment Fill the Grounds
Jay's Crab Shack is sponsoring the return of the festival's crab-cake eating contest, scheduled for both Saturday and Sunday. South Pacific Island Dancers will perform throughout the day across the festival grounds on both days, adding to a lineup of live music and family-friendly activities that has defined the event since its move to Ventnor.
With dozens of vendors, a full weekend of live entertainment and a charitable cook-off drawing crowds year after year, the Downbeach Seafood Festival continues to anchor the Jersey Shore's late-summer food scene at Ski Beach.
