highlights
Food, Fabulous Food!
The focus of the festival is, of course, fresh hot Maine lobster! Enjoy your lobster dinner under the Maine Eating Tent while enjoying a view of Penobscot Bay. What could be better on a warm August day?
During the 2008 Lobster Festival, over 20,000 pounds of luscious lobster was prepared in our brand new cooker on the shore (that's a show in itself!). In addition to lobster, you can choose from 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.
Coronation
And the 2008 Maine Sea Goddess is...
Bryson Cowan of Thomaston!
Who will be the 2009 Maine Sea Goddess? One of the great highlights of the festival features twenty-six young women from the local midcoast area vying for the Sea Goddess crown, scholarships, and prizes. The 2008 Maine Sea Goddess will represent the Maine Lobster Festival, the lobster industry, and Rockland, Maine for the year with appearances at other events and associations throughout New England.
2009 Eligibility Information [pdf]
2009 Sea Princess Application [pdf]
2009 Sea Princess Application [doc]
Past Sea Goddesses (PDF 37kb)
Lobster Crate Race
An extremely popular and fun event, contestants from all over the world take a shot at navigating a string of 50 partially submerged lobster crates. The winner is the person who runs the most crates before falling into the chilly Atlantic ocean.
In recent years a young man from Austria won the race with over 2000 crates crossed before he fell into the cold waters of the harbor. The NEW all-time record, set in 2008 is 4,501 crates, run by Andrew Bachiochi, a 12-year-old participant from Stafford Springs, Conn. The previous record was held by a midcoast girl, Susan Lundquist, who managed 3,007! That record took 25 years to break!
The "Great International William Atwood Lobster Crate Race" is open to anyone brave enough to risk falling into the chilly ocean with thousands of people watching your every move! Sign up for the Crate Race occurs the day of the race, Sunday, August 2, 2009 at the Information Booth starting at 7:00 am. Be there early as the spots fill up quickly and space is limited!
Cooking Contest
Amateur cooks are invited to enter the Maine Lobster Festival Seafood Cooking Contest. Any one 18 or older is eligible to enter the contest with the exception of professional food experts, Maine Lobster Festival officials, or Courier Publications employees.
The Maine Lobster Festival Seafood Cooking Contest is sponsored by Village Soup. 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.
2008 Cooking Contest Info (PDF)
2007 Winning Recipes (pdf)
2008 Winning Recipes (pdf)
Maine Arts & Crafts
In the Fine Art Tent, you will be enjoy the incredible art work of many local artists, encompassing oil paints, water colors, photography and more.
The Craft Tent is filled with local Maine crafters displaying their treasures of exceptional Maine craftsmanship. From pottery to hand-woven baskets to delicious homemade fudge, if you are looking for something with the quality only Made in Maine can produce, this is the tent you want to visit!
Marine Tent
Enjoy fascinating displays for all ages and varied interests. The Gulf of Maine is a complex and sometimes mysterious place. Festival Marine tent participants explain and demonstrate how they fit into a very big picture.
For exhibitor information, contact:
Celia Knight at
207-596-5670 or 207-594-4068 or tents@mainelobsterfestival.com
The "BIG" Parade
The Big Parade down Rockland's Main Street, which draws more than 25,000 fans, begins at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, August 1st. The theme for our 2008 parade was "Lobster, Lobstar, Lobstarr — no matter how you say it, it is the STAR of the Festival" as we celebrated our 61st year.
The parade included our Grand Marshal - Sam Collins, who is the only surviving original incorporator of the Maine Lobster Festival who signed the certificate of organization that created the Rockland Festival Corporation! The parade also had the newly crowned Sea Goddess, all of the Sea Princesses and their Naval escorts, and King Neptune and his Court, along with a variety of bands, marching units, colorful floats, drill teams, vehicles and much more!
Bring your lawn chair, sit back, and watch the show!
2008 Parade Winners (PDF).
Road Races
10k Road Race
August 2, 2009 at 8:30 a.m. Start your Sunday morning of the Festival with a bang ... the bang of the gun starting the race!
More than 200 runners compete in the 10K road race through the streets of Rockland and Rockport. Do you have what it takes to aim for your personal best? If so, register now to reserve your space in this popular event! Commemorative t-shirts go to the first 200 registrants.
2009 Registration
Register online through Active.com — available through July 31. Or download a registation form (PDF 1663kb) to mail in.
Pre-registration and packet pick-up will be available Saturday, August 1 from 6-8 p.m. on the Festival grounds (note: paid admission is required to enter the grounds).
Questions: email roadrace@mainelobsterfestival.com or call Holly at (207) 593-0404.
New in 2008... The 10k road race is now USATF certified!
Course Map
Download Official course map (PDF)
2007 10k Results
Kid's Fun Run
Not to be outdone, the kids have all the glory before the adult race with their own 1 mile fun run down Main Street . Don't miss the excitement and the chance to cheer on the young ones in their quest to cross the finish line!
2007 Kids Run Results
And Speaking of Kids...
The Maine Lobster Festival would not be complete without lots of fun activities for the kids! In addition to our Children's Tent, which is opened all five days of the Festival, kids have the opportunity to participate in lots of fun competitions, including:
- Lobster Eating
- Cod Fish Carry
- Diaper Derby
- Costume Parade
Entertainment
The Maine Lobster Festival has music for every taste! Look for jazz, comedy, oldies, celtic, reggae, folk, or a dash of the blues scattered throughout the festival grounds!
The following is information on our 2009 entertainment:
Reserved seating tickets are available for:
- Thursday - Eric Church with special guest Don Campbell Band - $23
- Friday - Celtic fiddling sensation Natalie MacMaster with special guest Enter The Haggis - $23
- Saturday - Satisfaction: The Stones Experience, acclaimed tribute to the Rolling Stones with special guest TBA - $20
Check out our full schedule for details on other local and regional acts that will be performing in 2009.
Advance concert tickets for 2009 will be available June 8. Tickets for each show are shown above and include your admission to the festival grounds and a seat for the show.
