Online only: Five bonus SandwichFest recipes!

A collection of mouthwatering creations from SandwichFest 2016

What’s so great about SandwichFest? To begin, attendees can vote for their favorites in the “Best Sandwich in Sandwich” competition, where local businesses vie for the “Best Sandwich” crown. Appetizing entries over the years have included lobster rolls, chicken salad, pulled pork and other traditional offerings as well as savory creations like smoked duck and pear. It’s a sandwich-lover’s scene.

Next, the festival, which is hosted annually by the Sandwich Chamber of Commerce and scheduled for Saturday, June 24, is a lot more than simply bread-meats-bread. Throughout the festivities, Route 130 in Sandwich, near Shawme Pond, is pedestrian-only and vendors line both sides of the street to exhibit their artwork, crafts, and other wares.

Finally, according to Jay Pateakos, the chamber’s executive director, the festival always inspires a lot of laughs. He recalls the year Café Chew, a multiple-year winner, submitted a fun new creation: The Chewbaca. Another year, Ice Cream Sandwich presented an eponymous entry, which was certainly the year’s sweetest. And when the sandwich competition wraps up each year, attendees turn their attention to hot dogs— those marching in the annual pet parade that is. “People dress their pets up and there’s a judging competition,” Pateakos says. “The DJ plays “Who let the dogs out,” and the dogs march up Route 130.”

To get your taste buds primed for SandwichFest 2017, we reached out to a number of establishments that took part in last year’s event, asking them to provide the recipes for their inspired creations. The collection includes last year’s two contest winners and more that we think you’ll enjoy. In addition to the three recipes in these pages, we have posted five more to our website, capecodlife.com.

This year’s festival runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Three separate tasting sessions will be held, one each at 11 a.m., noon, and 1 p.m. For $20, participants can enjoy six good-sized sandwich portions, a bag of chips and bottled water.

Check out these recipes featured on the Cape Cod Life recipe page!

The BLTCB: Holly Ridge Golf Club

The Hercules: Tomatoes Italian Grille & Bar

The Sweet Elvis: Marshland Too Restaurant & Bakery

Curried Chicken Salad Croissant: Cafe Chew

Mini Tuna Burrito: Pilot House Restaurant & Lounge

The Crunchy Club: Meetinghouse Package Store

The Puritan: Beth’s Bakery & Café

Uncle Lumpy: British Beer Company

More information about SandwichFest can be found at sandwichchamber.com.