A local Piermont events committee, under the leadership of resident Kim Smith, came up with a neat idea: a special celebration on the Sunday afternoon before the national Super Bowl football game that was played Sunday, February 8, 2026, featuring homemade soups in the name of a Souper Bowl contest.

It was a great success, with 11 entries, all very nicely blended into a soup festival that attracted people who loved the opportunity to sit down and try 11 exquisite soups.

All of America loves good soup. And, as seen last Sunday afternoon, Piermont folks love soup, too. Soup has a rich food history, with a range of local flavors and international tweaks, including hundreds of additives that give soup kitchen creators special ingredients and gives each soup its special name, flavors and appearance.

According to the history of New England food, a chowder made with clams or corn, oysters, or any other vegetable, meat, or seafood available began here in America at the time the Pilgrims landed in 1620, and perhaps even before.

Before the arrival of the Pilgrims, Native American tribes devised ways to prepare and eat vegetables, meats, and grains they harvested, making them essential, nutrient-rich liquid-based foods for everyday consumption.

As refugees and other freedom-seekers came to America, they brought with them family recipes for favorite soups that included all types of meat, vegetables, spices, and herbs. Simple concoctions fed families, and so did exotic blends of many different ingredients that they enjoyed back in "the old country."

Ms. Smith said she and others of the Friends of Piermont Committee, (which is actually part of the recreation department), thought it would be a fun way to get people out during the colder and darker time of the year, "to enjoy a nice warm bowl of soup and enjoy the company of their neighbors."

She issued a big "thank you" to everyone who participated in the Friends of Piermont Souper Bowl event. "What a fun and tasty event," she offered.

The soup selections were something quite appetizing to look at and to walk the soup line and take in all those wonderful flavors and exciting aromas, see all the containers with their soup contents, some colorful, some bubbly and creamy, some loaded with cute little pasta thingies, all lined up in those large soup containers that had been brought in from home and displayed in the gym area of the Piermont Village School.

Kim Smith told me more about the fabulous soups and cooks, who included Mary Ruth Hambrick (Marry Me Chicken Soup), Jane Stimson (Hungarian Mushroom), Gail Bachus (Creamy Tortellini), Jon Foote (String Bean), Julie Lamarre (Minestrone), Vincent Colasanti (Chicken & Corn Chowder), Joyce Tompkins (Crab & Mushroom Bisque), Nancy Sandell (Split Pea), Jonathan Stimson (Broccoli & Cheese), Cleveland French (Garbanzo Bean) and Chris Spooner (Fish Chowder).

The prize winners included:
1st place - Marry Me Chicken Soup, Mary Ruth Hambrick
2nd place - Hungarian Mushroom Soup, Jane Stimson
3rd place (tied) - Creamy Tortellini, Gail Bachus and String Bean Soup, Jon Foote.
Smith said the winners earned bragging rights and small gift cards to local food-related businesses (Robie Farm, Chapmans General, and White Barn Farm).

She offered "Thanks to our Soup-reme Court Judges, Chris Palmucci, Fred Shipman, and Melanie Rhoads, and to Mary Ruth and Richard Hambrick for their help setting up and tearing down. Also, "Thanks to the 7th/8th grade families for providing yummy desserts."

The public voted 'fan favorite' and winner of the Golden Ladle Award was Hungarian Mushroom Soup by Jane Stimson.

She said, "Everyone is already looking forward to the next event! Keep your eyes peeled for info on the upcoming Easter Egg Hunt!"

Have a story?