A delicious lobster dinner at Winter Harbor Lobster Festival.

As with previous years, the Winter Harbor Lobster Festival Schedule takes place in early August and includes a blueberry pancake breakfast, road race, lobster boat races, a parade and a chance to taste the the fruits of the Maine lobster season in the form of a local lobster dinner. Also known as the Downeast Lobster Festival, the Winter Harbor Lobster Fest is much smaller in scale than the Maine Lobster Fest.  It takes place one of Maine’s most picturesque lobster fishing villages, Winter Harbor.  This year’s Winter Harbor Lobster Festival will happen on August 11th and the schedule is below.

The Winter Harbor Lobster Festival Schedule 2018

Saturday, August 11th

6:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. – Blueberry Pancake Breakfast at the Masonic Hall.

8:00 a.m. – 5K George Schaeffer Memorial road race in Birch Harbor (registration @ 7:00 a.m.). Note: the road race is not yet listed in the 2018 Winter Harbor Lobster Festival Schedule but I’m assuming it will be added as this race has been an annual event for many years.

9:00 a.m. – Craft Fair at the school gym (continues until 4:30 p.m.) along with vendors lining the streets selling coffee, muffins, snow cones, sandwiches and more (the year I went there were lobster rolls for sale).

10:00 a.m. – Lobster Boat races at Henry Cove.

11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. – Lobster Dinner behind the school gym and town office. The lobster dinner includes a steamed lobster, corn on the cob, coleslaw, a drink and dessert. By early August, the Maine lobster season (shedder season to us Mainers) is in full swing so you get to enjoy a deliciously sweet new shell lobster as part of your Downeast lobster festival dinner.  The price of the lobster dinner varies year to year, depending on the price of Maine lobster in August.

5:30 p.m. – Parade on Main Street.

Note: In previous years there has also been a dance and fireworks at dusk. These events may take place this year but are not yet part of the published Winter Harbor Lobster Festival Schedule. 

Delicious Winter Harbor lobster – ready to be plated and served at the festival.

To read more about the lobster fishing village of Winter Harbor, click here.