Winners of 2025’s Chowderfest was given to Harleyz and Hotrods at the Competition that took place at Havasu State Park. Photo courtesy of Immediate Past Chair Becky Goldberg.
LAKE HAVASU CITY – Lake Havasu’s 5th annual Chowderfest will make a comeback this month serving up delicious samples all for the sake of charity. For the past two years, education nonprofit Soroptimist has teamed up with Chamber Foundation for Education and Leadership to strengthen and attract more community interest in the yearly event. One of the organizers of the event is Immediate Past Chair Becky Goldberg of the chamber who recalls Soroptimist approaching the group to request their support.
Other than the group being well known charities, the two teams also shared another commonality, education. Soroptimist give girls and women a gateway to training and education to gain financial self-reliance. The charity foundation raises funds for high schoolers in need of scholarships. This year’s festival will be packed with three live band performances from Johnny and the Be Goods, Scotty Perry Band, and GarageBand. Fifteen participating restaurants will compete, showing off their chowder culinary skills like Chabones, Shugrues, Nautical Beachfront Resort, and even a return of last year’s chowder champions, Harleyz and Hot Rods.
Wine and beer tastings will also be available from local bars like College Street Brewery and Mudsharks. Five celebrity judges will be at the event such as Darrell Sheets from hit TV show Storage Wars, Luka Vinchi from Havasu Flavors, Ralph Tapscott from Horizon Community Bank, Danny Reddy with Arizona Parks, and Don Hansen from Mohave Mortgage. The final winner is decided under three categories.
The gold ladle is the judge’s vote and attendees can also vote in the people’s choice category along with a competition for best decorated booth through QR codes which will be found in various areas throughout the event. The winner will be announced at 4 p.m., and the hosts want folks to stay on the lookout for tickets that can be purchased online.
Tickets can also be bought at the door. The 5th Annual Chowderfest will be taking place on Saturday, February 28 from noon to 5 p.m. at Lake Havasu State Park located at 699 London Bridge Road. All proceeds of ticket sales will benefit Soroptimist and the Chamber Foundation for Education and Leadership. Goldberg shared that the event is intended to be informative, all while keeping the occasion upbeat and spirited. “My favorite is getting a chance to share the purpose behind these two great nonprofits with the community, and making the day as much fun as possible,” Goldberg said.
