Seafood lovers who crave diverse and authentic regional flavors need only flock to the coast this year. The following five seafood festivals provide a cultural connection to local cuisine and the working fisheries, plus a fun way to meet other seafood enthusiasts in your adventure travels.

Maine Lobster Festival

July 30-Aug. 3, 2025

Of course, we have to lead off with the best food fest on the East Coast! Going on 78 years, the Maine Lobster Festival was initially conceived as a local marine festival to celebrate Maine’s iconic lobster industry in the summer. Today, the five-day MLF has grown into a globally renowned celebration of local seafood, drawing more than 30,000 visitors. It’s a lobster lover’s paradise! Last year, they served more than 20,000 pounds of lobster, plus a few thousand more lobster rolls. Try the lobster mac ’n cheese, lobster bisque, lobster Caesar salad, seafood chowders, clams and mussels under the Eating Tent. Then, get your sip on with the Steins & Vines tasting events. And every single day of admission is free!

Hampton Beach Seafood Festival

Sept. 5-7, 2025

Drawing tens of thousands of visitors to “the biggest party on the beach” in New Hampshire, the Hampton Beach Seafood Festival hosts more than 50 local food vendors to showcase their culinary expertise, regional ingredients, as well as more than 70 local artisans. Not only can you dig into the food and beer tents for three days straight, but there is also live music, culinary demos, parades, and even New England’s largest Outdoor Bar. Sounds like a party to us!

The Maryland Seafood Festival

Sept. 14-15, 2025

Are steamed blue crabs and oysters on your bucket list? Then, the Maryland Seafood Festival is for you. Held at Sandy Point State Park along the northwestern shore of the majestic Chesapeake Bay, this two-day event is a platform for local fishermen to showcase the best of Maryland’s seafood cuisine. People come from all over for the crab cakes, steamed crabs, and oyster stew. Enjoy the multitude of seafood vendors, a crab soup cook-off, artisans, live music, kids’ activities, and a fantastic beverage selection with lots of local craft beer.

National Shrimp Festival

Oct. 9–12, 2025

For the last 50 years, the National Shrimp Festival has been the signature annual event of coastal Alabama. While shrimp is served in just about every conceivable way (fried, grilled, peel-and-eat boiled, shrimp tacos, shrimp po’boys, shrimp gumbo, and shrimp jambalaya), the festival also has burgers, seafood platters, crab cakes, fish tacos, shaved ice, hand-squeezed lemonade and more. This festival is big on live music, and for more entertainment, there is a sand sculpture contest, a children’s activity village, arts and crafts, a golf challenge, a 5K and 10K race, a Miss Shrimp Festival Pageant, and a “Best of the Fest” cooking contest using local ingredients.

Portland Seafood and Wine Festival

March 1-2, 2025

The “other” Portland’s annual tasting event, Portland Seafood and Wine Festival, is more like two festivals in one. It showcases the freshest seafood from the Pacific Northwest, such as Dungeness crab (at its peak season), oysters and salmon, while featuring 40 of the finest wineries in Oregon. Holding its annual festival at the Portland Expo Center in Oregon, the two-day event boasts more than 175 booths featuring wine, cider, beers, spirits, food, artists, and craftspeople. Additionally, attendees will enjoy live entertainment, cooking demos, and appearances by renowned chefs showcasing seafood preparation techniques.

If you’re planning your New England trip this summer and fall, put Maine Lobster Festival at the top of your list by visiting www.mainelobsterfestival.com.