Maine Lobster Festival

Maine has every right to celebrate lobster. The two of them are inseparable. Mention Maine and you think lobster, mention lobster and you thing Maine. The town of Rockland takes a full 11 months to work on and plan each years festival. Any festival that goes through 20,000 pounds of lobster takes a lot of careful perpetration. The committee is all volunteer, so it is really a labor of love and it shows.

The events include the coronation of the 2009 Maine Sea Goddess who will represent the Maine lobster industry throughout New England.

The Lobster Crate Race is for the daring and every year participants come from all over the world for the opportunity to try and walk or run over the tops of 50 lobster crates that are partially submerged in the Atlantic Ocean. The winner is the one who makes it across the most crates. And it is not just one run. One year, the winner made it across more than 4,000 crates. The race is open to everyone, but a word of caution. The Atlantic is cold in Maine even in July and August.

The Cooking Contest is another event open to anyone as long as they are over 18 and an amateur cook. First prize is $200, second $175 and third $150.

Arts & Crafts is a big part of every festival and the Maine Lobster Festival is no exception. There will be work by local artists in the various media and crafters with crafts including
pottery, hand-woven baskets, homemade fudge and other unique creations.

Parades are another staple of festivals. The Maine Lobster Festival draws a crowd of about 25,000, a good size crowd by any measure. The Sea Goddess and her court, King Neptune along with numerous bands, floats, marching units, and drill teams will all be participating.

The 10k Road Race starts August 2, 2009 at 8:30 a.m. and is another event open to everyone. Each year the number of participants exceeds 200. There is also a special Kid's Fun Run which is a 1 mile run that goes off just before the adults.

The Children's tent is open all five days and in addition to what is going on in the tent, there are special kids activities including Lobster Eating, Cod Fish Carry, Diaper Derby and the Costume Parade

Entertainment at the Maine Lobster Festival includes jazz, comedy, oldies, celtic, reggae, folk and blues with :Eric Church and the Don Campbell Band, Celtic fiddling with Enter The Haggis and a special tribute to the Rolling Stones.

Maine Lobster Festival
Rockland, Maine 04841