Photo courtesy of The Maine Lobster Festival.

The Maine Lobster Festival is a five day celebration of the Maine lobster season.  Over 20,000 pounds of fresh Maine lobster is served to seafood fanatics in the beautiful seaside town of Rockland during the festivities. The festival has been going for over 50 years and features a plethora of coastal events from lobster crate races and a lobster cooking contest to the coronation of Maine’s annual ‘Sea Goddess.’ If you’re a foodie, I recommend watching the Seafood Cooking Contest.   If you have children or want to witness or participate in some of the fun/competitive events, check out the running race the cod fish carry the lobster eating contest or the lobster crate races.  Here are highlights from the 2016 schedule.

The Maine Lobster Fest Schedule – 2016 Highlights

Wednesday, August 3rd

11:00 a.m. – Festival opens and lobster dinner serving begins

8:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. – Coronation of the Maine Sea Goddess.  At the main stage with musical entertainment.

Thursday, August 4th

7:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. – Blueberry pancake breakfast

11:00 a.m. –  Lobster dinner serving begins.

Friday, August 5th

7:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. – Blueberry pancake breakfast

9:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. –  The Maine Lobster Festival Seafood Cooking Contest. This contest is for amateur chefs and the audience will have the opportunity to sample the prepared recipes in the cooking area and pick up the contestants’ recipes after the awards are presented.

11:00 a.m. – Lobster dinner serving begins.

Saturday, August 6th

7:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. – Blueberry pancake breakfast

10:0 a.m. –   The Big Parade along Main Street, including the LLBean Bootmobile and the Maine Sea Goddess.

11:00 a.m. – Lobster dinner serving begins.

Sunday, August 7th

7:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. – Blueberry pancake breakfast

8:00 a.m. –   Children’s 1 Mile Fun Run begins outside the Main Gate of the Festival grounds. (Registration starts at 7 a.m. on the Main Stage the morning of the race).

8:30 a.m. –   10K Road Race through the streets of Rockland and Owls Head.  (Registration for the race is available online through August 6th).

11:00 a.m. – Lobster dinner serving begins.

2:00 p.m. – Lobster crate races on the waterfront.