Maine Lobster Festival
What has nine tents, the world’s greatest lobster cooker, a sea goddess, a big parade, top notch entertainment, an international crate race, fine art, talented crafts people and vendors, US Navy ship tours, all you can eat pancakes, free shuttle service, US Coast Guard Station tours, professional and amateur cooking contests, marine heritage, road races, kids events, and over 20,000 pounds of lobster? The Maine Lobster Festival!
Running from August 4- 8, 2010 in Rockland, the Maine Lobster Festival is a great event around which to plan your maine vacation. And the Mid-Coast of Maine is an area you do not want to miss – from rocky coastlines to islands to whales, seals and puffins, the area is quintessentially Maine.
Begun in 1947, the Maine Lobster Festival has grown each year. The focus of the festival is, of course, fresh hot lobster! The Maine Eating Tent is situated next to Penobscot Bay, so you can enjoy your lobster while taking in breathtaking views. In addition to lobster, festival goers can enjoy steamed and fried clams, fried Maine shrimp, shrimp cocktail, steamed mussels in wine and vegetable sauce, and many varieties of traditional summer fair food, all prepared in the traditional Maine way.
One of the great highlights of the festival features twenty-six young women from the local mid-coast area vying for the Sea Goddess crown, scholarships, and prizes. The Maine Sea Goddess represents the Maine Lobster Festival, the lobster industry, and Rockland, Maine for the year with appearances at other events and associations throughout New England.
Another popular event is the Lobster Crate Race in which contestants race over 50 partially submerged lobster crates. The winner is the person who runs over the most crates before falling into the Atlantic Ocean. The current record of 4,501 crates was set in 2008, by a 12-year-old boy from Connecticut. The race is open to everyone.
Amateur cooks are invited to enter the Maine Lobster Festival Seafood Cooking Contest. The first prize winner will receive $200, the second prize winner receives $175, and the third prize awarded will be $150. Make sure to stop by and see the cooks in action! Judging starts at 11:00 am on Friday and prizes will be awarded at 12:30.
Other events include The Big Parade, which travels down Rockland’s Main Street and draws more than 25,000 fans; a 10K road race in which more than 200 runners compete along the streets of Rockland and Rockport; the Fine Art Tent where local artists display their work and the Craft Tent filled with local Maine crafters displaying everything from homemade fudge to pottery to hand-woven baskets. In addition, the Children’s Tent offers plenty of fun for the kids, including Cod Fish Carry, Diaper Derby, and a Costume Parade.
Don’t miss out on all the fun the Maine Lobster Festival has to offer. It is a great way to experience the true essence of Maine. And remember that area resorts like the Sebasco Harbor Resort in Sebasco Maine make a great home base and provide lots of amenities for your Maine vacation stay – everything from lobstering and kids’ camps to golf, tennis and spas. Plus the resort is centrally located to all the Midcoast Maine communities and activities, including Rockland, Maine which is only an hour’s drive away. So book your Maine vacation and experience some serious summer fun in Maine.
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