Working Waterfront Festival Archives

MASSACHUSETTS: New Bedford heritage center to highlight women’s roles in fishing industry

March 10, 2021 — Years before the New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center was established, the city’s annual two-day Working Waterfront Festival in 2007 focused on women and their role in the commercial fishing industry.

Laura Orleans, executive director of the center who was involved in the festival planning, said a man on the planning committee had asked if the festival would be all about fishermen’s wives, as that was what he thought about women in the industry.

Women who are married to fishermen serve an important role, but they have many other roles, Orleans said. They own and captain boats, process fish, study fisheries as scientists, make fishing gear, do the bookkeeping, serve as observers for fisheries management and act as some of the strongest advocates for the industry.

This reality will be the focus of the center’s new project, “Women’s Work: At Sea, On Shore, At Home, In the Community.” Programming starts this month and will culminate in a new exhibit on women scheduled to open late this summer.

Read the full story at Wicked Local

MASSACHUSETTS: The Working Waterfront Festival returns: A fest primer

September 14, 2017 — It’s back, baby.

Yup, New Bedford’s famed Working Waterfront Festival, which transitioned to a biennial event following 2015, is back — and looks better than ever.

Clear your calendar for Sept. 23, and head down at the docks to watch whaleboat races and lobstering contests; to eat fresh seafood, sing, dance, climb aboard a fishing vessel and more at the Working Waterfront Festival.

Now I’m the first to admit I don’t know ship about fishing, so when I’ve gone to the Waterfront Fest in the past, I’ve felt like I’m walking into a Discovery Channel documentary.

It’s absolutely eye-opening, utterly fascinating, and a fantastic — and free! — family day trip.

New Bedford is the nation’s most valuable fishing port, and the fest—named one of the world’s “Top 20 Travel Events” by National Geographic Traveler in 2011 — draws people from around New England each year for harbor tours, cooking demonstrations, author talks, folk music and dance, fishing contests, explore vessels, and more.

This year, the fest has a new partner in the New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center, and will be presented in two locations: on Steamship Pier, and at the New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center. The sites will be linked by a free shuttle bus.

Read the full story at the New Bedford Standard-Times

MASSACHUSETTS: Working Waterfront Festival Returns on September 23rd

August 23, 2017 — The following was released by the New Bedford Working Waterfront Festival:

The nation’s #1 fishing port hosts the Working Waterfront Festival – a free, family friendly celebration of the commercial fishing industry – on the working piers of New Bedford. The Festival takes place on Saturday, September 23^rd from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. with whaleboat races kicking off the morning at 8:00 a.m.

More than simply a celebration, the Working Waterfront Festival is a unique opportunity for the public to get a first-hand look at the culture of fishing and for the commercial fishing industry to tell its own story. The event presents all that goes into bringing seafood from the ocean to the table in a way that is hands-on, educational, and fun.

This year, the Festival is partnering with the New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center. Located in the heart of the City’s historic downtown, the Center’s mission is to tell the story of the commercial fishing industry past, present, and future through exhibits, programs, and archives. This partnership is a natural fit for two organizations dedicated to celebrating the commercial fishing industry.

The Festival will be presented in two locations: at Steamship Pier on New Bedford’s historic waterfront and at the New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center at 38 Bethel Street. These two sites will be linked by a free shuttle bus, allowing visitors to enjoy all the Festival has to offer.

Steamship Pier will host fishermen’s contests, industry demos, vessel tours, on water activities, cooking demonstrations, a food court, and more! Contest highlights include scallop shucking and nautical tattoos. Safety demos as well as demonstrations of skills such as rigging and wire splicing will be presented. Whaleboat races and a tug boat muster will take place with viewing from the head of the pier. Visitors can learn more about fisheries science and other aspects of the industry from non-profit and corporate exhibitors and purchase handmade items from maritime artists. Cooking demonstrations, featuring New Bedford seafood, will take place at the Foodways Area. The Food Court will feature fresh, local seafood prepared by Seafood Hut, Oxford Creamery, and Destination Soups.

The Fishing Heritage Center will host performances of music and fisherpoetry on Main Stage; Mug Up sessions with author readings and signings; kids activities; and their current exhibit Nautical Tattoos and the Stories Behind Them: Portraits by Phil Mello. Visitors will also be able to visit the Center’s gift shop and see the main exhibit, From Boat to Table, featuring a full-sized wheelhouse and a variety of hands-on activity stations. Alice’s Food Truck will be on hand serving fresh seafood dishes and more.

As always, the Festival will bring together a unique array of music, storytelling, and fisherpoetry. Many of the performers have close ties to the industry and reflect its’ ethnic diversity. Performances of traditional sea chanteys by the New Bedford Harbor Sea Chantey Chorus and the edgier punk rock sea chantey sounds of Sharks Come Cruisin’ will have the audience singing and dancing along. Portuguese fado singer Ana Vinagre and her ensemble will share the soulful songs of love, the ocean, and loss. NOIR brings the music of Norway and Ireland to the Festival stages. Singer/songwriter Jon Campbell will share his his humorous take about the lives of those living and working on the coast. Alaskan Fisherpoet Dave Densmore will share poetry he writes, often from the wheelhouse, to capture a way of life that is changing and give voice to those who work the sea.

Commercial fisherman and author Linda Greenlaw will return to the Festival for a Q & A session with Mindy Todd of WCAI – Cape & Islands NPR Station. She will talk about fishing, writing and her newest book, Shiver Hitch, which was released in June. A book signing will follow.

Finest Kind: The New Bedford Fishing Industry is the new, original documentary produced by the Center, will be shown throughout the day. The film interweaves interviews, historic and contemporary footage, and photographs to provide a sense of the rich history and culture of the New Bedford/Fairhaven fishing industry.

Parking is free at all meters and at the Elm Street Garage.The free shuttle departs from the Center and Steamship Pier. For more information, visit www.WorkingWaterfrontFestival.org.

The Festival is made possible by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts as well as support from many local businesses, the City of New Bedford, and the Harbor Development Commission.

MASSACHUSETTS: New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center presents Nautical Tattoos and the Stories Behind Them: Portraits by Phil Mello

August 1, 2017 — NEW BEDFORD, Mass. — The following was released by the New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center:

The New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center is pleased to announce the opening of Nautical Tattoos and the Stories Behind Them: Portraits by Phil Mello. An opening reception will take place on August 10, 2017 at 6:00 p.m. during AHA. The exhibit will run until October 1, 2017. During the 2015 Working Waterfront Festival’s Nautical Tattoo Contest, contestants and attendees had the opportunity to have their portraits taken by Phil Mello and the story of their tattoo recorded. This exhibit showcases these images and stories.

There is a long history of tattoos in the maritime world dating back to the age of sail. The symbolism of many images is part of the tradition for those who have a connection to the sea. More than just beautiful artistry, tattoos often hold deep meaning for those they adorn. A tattoo can be a talisman or commemorate an important event or person. It can serve as a reminder of what has been or reflect an aspiration for the future.

In the commercial fishing community, tattoos often pay tribute to family or friends lost at sea or pledge loyalty to those left on shore. Some portray real or mythical sea creatures and others illustrate a person’s character traits or work history.

The exhibit is sponsored by New Bedford Tattoo Company and is supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts. It is presented by New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center, Community Economic Development Center, and the Working Waterfront Festival.

The Center is open Thursday – Sunday 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Admission is free. Located at 38 Bethel Street in the heart of the National Park, the Center is wheelchair accessible with free off-street parking.

The New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center is dedicated to preserving and presenting the story of the commercial fishing industry past, present, and future through exhibits, programs, and archives. For more information, please email programs@fishingheritagecenter.org or call (508) 993-8894.

MASSACHUSETTS: New Bedford Worries About What Happens To ‘The Codfather’s’ Fishing Permits

April 11, 2017 — Down on the docks of the Whaling City, everyone knows him as “Carlos.”

“I’ve been working for Carlos for 12 years now,” says Richard Mauzerolle of Weston. “Sometimes he should watch out who he’s talking to,” he adds with a laugh, referencing the IRS sting that landed Carlos Rafael guilty on 28 counts in late March. “But he’s a good guy.”

The fall of New Bedford fishing boss Carlos Rafael could be a big blow for the city’s port. And if his fishing permits are forfeited and end up in another state, it could hurt Massachusetts as a whole.

What happens to Rafael’s boats — and the permits attached to them — will be decided by a federal judge. And people in New Bedford want them to stay in the city.

‘He’s One Of My Main Livelihoods’

Mauzerolle is in the spray foam business — he insulates holds on fishing boats owned by Rafael. He’s one of hundreds of people who work with the man known as “the Codfather,” who gives Mauzerolle about a third of his business.

“He’s one of my main livelihoods right down in the area, so it’d be a shame to have him lose anything,” says Mauzerolle, standing in front of his box truck with a massive Donald Trump sign stuck to the side. Rafael, he says, has “brought this fishing industry back to where it’s supposed to be down here.”

In 2004, Rafael spoke to an archivist at the Working Waterfront Festival in New Bedford about how he amassed so many boats, highlighting the importance of diversifying between scallops and groundfish.

Read the full story and listen to the radio report at WBUR

MASSACHUSETTS: Working Waterfront Festival Returns September 23, 2017

February 13, 2017 — New Bedford, MA – The following was released by the Working Waterfront Festival:

The Working Waterfront Festival returns to the working piers of New Bedford, the nation’s most valuable fishing port, on Saturday, September 23, 2017. This free, family friendly event celebrates the history and culture of New England’s commercial fishing industry in a way that is authentic, hands-on, and educational. The flagship event is back with a new co-producer, a new format, and a new festival director.

This year, the Festival is partnering with the New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center. Located in the heart of the City’s historic downtown, the Fishing Heritage Center opened its’ doors last June. Its mission is to tell the story of the fishing industry past, present, and future, through exhibits, programs, and archives. This partnership is a natural fit for two organizations dedicated to celebrating the commercial fishing industry.

The 2017 Festival will be presented in two locations: on Steamship Pier and at the New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center. These two sites will be linked by a free shuttle bus, allowing visitors to enjoy all the Festival has to offer.

Steamship Pier will host the Contest Stage; demonstrations of industry skills and fisheries science; dockside vessel tours; kids’ activities; a tug boat muster, whaleboat races; corporate and non- profit exhibitors; maritime artisans; and a Food Court featuring fresh, local seafood and cooking demonstrations. The Fishing Heritage Center will host performances of music and fisherpoetry; author readings and signings; kids activities; and the exhibit – Nautical Tattoos and the Stories Behind Them. Visitors will also be able to visit the Center’s gift shop and main exhibit From Boat to Table, featuring a full-sized wheelhouse and a variety of hands-on activity stations.

In addition, the Festival is pleased to announce long time Development and Exhibits Manager, Jessica Bailey, has been named Festival Director. Ms. Bailey brings a wealth of knowledge about the industry as well as significant experience in event production. Founding Director, Laura Orleans, will continue to be involved as Director Emeritus during this transition year, focusing on Festival programming.

To learn more or become a sponsor, visit www.WorkingWaterfrontFestival.org or like us on Facebook.

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The Working Waterfront Festival is a project of the Community Economic Development Center of Southeastern MA, a non-profit organization, and is co-produced by New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center. Navigate to us at www.WorkingWaterfrontFestival.org.

SMAST Fisheries scientists to present current cooperative research projects at Dock-u-mentaries program

May 9, 2016 — The Dock-U-Mentaries Film Series continues on Friday, May 20th at 7:00 PM with Fishing for Knowledge: Cooperative Research for Sustainable Fisheries in New England. Dock-u-entaries is a co-production of New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park, the New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center, and the Working Waterfront Festival. Films about the working waterfront are screened on the third Friday of each month beginning at 7:00 PM in the theater of the Corson Maritime Learning Center, located at 33 William Street in downtown New Bedford. All programs are open to the public and presented free of charge.

Read the full story at the New Bedford Guide

Festival Contests Showcase Fishing Industry Skills

NEW BEDFORD, Mass. — October 1, 2015 — The following was released by the Working Waterfront Festival:

The 2015 Working Waterfront Festival (September 26 & 27) featured a variety of competitions throughout the weekend. Participants competed in whaleboat races; a tug boat muster; net mending, splicing, link squeezing, and scallop shucking contests; a Nautical Tattoo Contest, and a Seafood Throwdown. Each event showcased a variety of industry skills, engaging the public in learning about different aspects of the fishing industry.

The Buzzard’s Bay Rowing Club hosted Whaleboat Races on Saturday morning. Winners were as follows: Women’s Grey Whale: Crabalots with a time of 13:19.3; Women’s Blue Whale: Margaret’s Oars with a time of 11:47.7; Women’s Right Whale: Mystic Seaport with a time of 13:25.6; Coed Blue Whale: Whalers with a time of 12:03.9; Coed Right Whale:Sea Me After Class with a time of 13:21.3; Coed Grey Whale: Bee’s Knees with a time of 14:18.1; and Men’s Right Whale: Mystic Seaport with a time of 11:48.6. Lorelei won “Best Dressed,” Mystic Seaport won “Most Theatrical” and Oar-e-o’s were deemed “Most Enthusiastic”.

Area tugs converged on the harbor Saturday afternoon for the annual Tugboat Musterorganized by Charlie Mitchell captain of the Tug Jaguar and emceed by his brother Bob Mitchell of R. A. Mitchell Company. While not a formal contest, tugs of all sizes showed their skill and strength with demonstrations of hawser tossing, turning, and pushing.

Rodney Avila and Ted Williams of Hercules SLR US presented Safety Demos including a life raft deployment and an “Abandon Ship” demonstration to give visitors a sense of the dangers of commercial fishing and the safety protocol that fishermen practice to remain safe at sea.

On Saturday, groundfishing skills were highlighted with a Net Mending Competitionemceed by net designer Tor Bendiksen of Reidar’s Manufacturing and a Rope Splicing Contest emceed by Barbara Merry of Marlinspike Artist. Winners of the net mending competition were 1st place: Steve Wright of the F/V Hunter with a time of 2:22, 2nd place: Sarah Fortin an employee at Reidar’s Manufacturing with a time of 2:35, 3rd place: Ray Lees of the F/V Paula Jean with a time of 2:59. Kevin Curole of Grand Isle, Louisiana won the splicing contest.

On Sunday, scallopers took center stage with back to back contests: Link Squeezing(emceed by Mathieu Lemieux of Blue Fleet Welding) and Shucking (emceed by Richie Canastra of BASE/Whaling City Seafood Display Auction). Brothers Levi Brockman (F/V Starbrite) and Steve Brockman (F/V Instigator) won the link squeezing contest with a time of 1:59. Results of the shucking contest were as follows: Jonathan Hynd of the F/V Horizon took first place with a time of 4:02; Sergey Chadchushkin of the F/V Atlantic took 2nd place with a time of 4:13; and Jeff Swain of the F/V Polaris took 3rd place with a time of 4:19.

Contest prizes were provided by Latti and Anderson LLP, Slave of the Sea, Marlinspike Artist, Buzzard’s Bay Rowing Club, Sinners and Saints Tattoo, Dark Star Tattoo and Body Piercing, Flying Aces Tattoo, the New Bedford Tattoo Company, and the Working Waterfront Festival.

Fourteen individuals competed in the Nautical Tattoo Contest debuting at this year’s festival. Contestants were judged on artistry, concept/creativity, stage presence and the story behind their tattoo. The judging panel included tattoo artists, Neil England and Val G., local sculptor Jessica Bregoli, and Raymond Canastra, co-owner of BASE. Terry Bungay of Newfoundland took home first place. Tanner Tillotson came in second; Bob Vieira came in third; and Sarah Jane Mulvey took fourth.

Sunday culminated with a Seafood Throwdown pitting Chef Chris Cronin of Little Moss (Dartmouth, MA) against Chef Rob Pirnie of Trafford (Warren, RI). With Dogfish as the surprise seafood ingredient, Chef Cronin, who was lucky enough to get an egg bearing dogfish, and clever enough to incorporate the fish roe into his dish (grilled dogfish, sugar pumpkin & lamb chorizo with scrambled roe and peach jam) scored enough extra points for his use of the whole animal to win the day. The Seafood Throwdown is a collaboration between the Northwest Atlantic Marine Alliance and the Working Waterfront Festival.

The Working Waterfront Festival is a project of the Community Economic Development Center of Southeastern MA, a non-profit organization. The FREE festival, a family friendly, educational celebration of New England’s commercial fishing industry, features live music, fishermen’s contests, fresh seafood, vessel tours, maritime authors, cooking demonstrations, kid’s activities and more. It all takes place on working piers and waterfront parks in New Bedford, MA, America’s #1 fishing port, on the last full weekend in September. Navigate to us at www.workingwaterfrontfestival.org.

MASSACHUSETTS: Chef Chris Cronin of Little Moss Restaurant wins 2015 Seafood Throwdown

NEW BEDFORD, Mass. — September 30, 2015 — The following was released by the Working Waterfront Festival:

Chef Chris Cronin of Little Moss Restaurant (Dartmouth, MA), was the winner of the Seafood Throwdown at this year’s Working Waterfront Festival. The Seafood Throwdown, which took place on Sunday, September 27th, is an “iron chef” style cooking competition in which two chefs compete to create a winning dish using a surprise local seafood ingredient which is revealed to them at the event. This year the secret seafood was DOGFISH! In a close competition with Rob Pirnie, Executive Chef of Warren, Rhode Island’s Trafford, Chef Cronin was lucky enough to get an egg bearing dogfish, and clever enough to incorporate the fish roe into his dish (grilled dogfish, sugar pumpkin & lamb chorizo with scrambled roe and peach jam), scoring extra points for “use of the whole animal”. Judging criteria includes taste, creativity, presentation, and use of the whole animal.

The Seafood Throwdown typically highlights underutilized species. Dogfish, while abundant in New Englandwaters do not have a strong domestic market. According to Marder Brands, the New Bedford company which supplied the dogfish for the Throwdown, Spiny Dogfish are fished in Europe, the United States, Canada, New Zealand and Chile. The meat is primarily consumed in England where it is used in fish and chips. In France Dogfish is considered to be like a “little salmon,” while in China, Dogfish fins and tails are commonly used in shark fin soup.

For the Seafood Throwdown, chefs can bring three of their favorite ingredients and, once the secret seafood is revealed, they get $25 and 15 minutes to shop the Festival Farmers’ Market. After their shopping spree, they have one hour to cook and plate their dish for the judge’s consideration. This year’s panel of judges included food writer Heather Atwood (author of In Cod We Trust), author and food activist Ali Berlow (author of The Food Activist’s Handbook), Chef and Culinary Arts Instructor Henry Bousquet, and Margaret Curole,Executive Chef for Commercial Fishermen of America. The Seafood Throwdown is a collaboration between the Northwest Atlantic Marine Alliance and the Working Waterfront Festival.

The Working Waterfront Festival is a project of the Community Economic Development Center of Southeastern MA, a non-profit organization. The FREE festival, a family friendly, educational celebration of New England’s commercial fishing industry, features live maritime and ethnic music, fishermen’s contests, fresh seafood, vessel tours, author readings, cooking demonstrations, kid’s activities and more. It all takes place on working piers and waterfront parks in New Bedford, MA, America’s #1 fishing port, on the last full weekend in September. Navigate to us at www.workingwaterfrontfestival.org.

MASSACHUSETTS: Working Waterfront Festival wraps up another successful year in New Bedford

September 27, 2015 — NEW BEDFORD — The smell of fried clams and scallops permeates the air as the crisp early autumn wind wisps the scent onward to every corner of Pier 3, as people listen to music, view creations from artisans, and witness how to shuck a scallop – which can mean only one thing.

The 12th annual Working Waterfront Festival is in full swing at New Bedford Harbor.

Since it’s inception in 2004, the two-day festival in late September brings in thousands of locals throughout SouthCoast in celebration of the vibrant fishing industry and those who make it work.

“We wanted people and locals to understand the fishing industry,” said Kirsten Bendiksen, one of the founders of the festival.

“Everyone sees the bridge go up,” says Bendiksen of the New Bedford/Fairhaven Bridge. “They know when the bridge goes up, the fishing vessels go out, but they don’t know how they get their catch.”

Read the full story at the New Bedford Standard-Times