The Most Popular Event at the Maine Lobster Festival

This year’s theme is

The Spirit of 76

Wonder what the most popular event at the Maine Lobster Festival is? Look no further than The Big Parade! This year The Big Parade begins at 10am August 5, 2023 on Main Street in Rockland.

For many years, the parade has drawn the largest crowd of the week, and often proves to be among the longer of the parades in Maine during the year. Each year, the town of Rockland closes Rockland Main Street to traffic as local community members and visitors alike gather to watch parade participants march or drive by.

The 2023 Co-Grand Marshals are longtime Maine Lobster Festival director/volunteers, Sharon Lombardo and Robert Oxton. Look for floats from many local businesses, as well as New England Patriots Cheerleaders, Pat the Patriot, mascot of the New England Patriots, Slugger The Sea Dog, mascot of the Portland Sea Dogs, Color Guards, Shriners, The Baltimore Marching Band, Miss Maine 2023, the newly crowned 2023 Maine Lobster Festival Delegate, King Neptune and his court, the Special Olympics and so many more!

In the past, participants have ranged from local groups and businesses to nationally-recognized participants joining us from various parts of the country like The L.L. Bean Bootmobile and “The Band” Marching Unit.

2022 Maine Sea Goddess Olivia Dougherty and King Neptune

The 2023 Parade theme is The Spirit of 76, and the Maine Lobster Festival board of directors encourages everyone to be creative with their interpretation of the theme! Does your float represent 76 years of the Maine Lobster Festival? Are you going retro with a float dedicated to 1976…or even more retro with 1776? The choices are endless!

Our local community makes this parade an exciting and entertaining family event celebrating our lobster industry.

2023 Big Parade Winners

Theme: The Strand

Nonprofit: Elks Lodge

Director’s Choice: Taste of Maine

Commercial: Fisher Engineering

Band: Nutmeg Fife & Drum Corp

People’s Choice: MVRA All-Stars

Parade FAQ

Saturday August 5

YES – your float/ vehicle/ etc MUST be decorated for either the Theme or to support the Lobster Industry

The Theme changes each year and is listed on the application

the parade starts at 10a

line up starts at 8a

Oceanside High School, Broadway, Birch St, Lower Cedar

staging at Oceanside High School or Planet Fitness

the parade is approximately 1 mile and lasts 1.5 to 2 hours

NO, Politicians, politics or religion of any kind is prohibited

parade starts at the intersection of North Main & Broadway, goes down North Main, up Main in the wrong direction and ends at Pleasant Street

the parade will be canceled if there is thunder/ lightening in the area or if the rain is a downpour

Vendors must be approved by the city (but are discouraged)

YES! Please email [email protected]

NO – there is never a cost to participate in the parade

candy must be HANDED OUT, not thrown into the crowd

Horses MUST be wearing poo-bags – NO EXCEPTIONS

2022 Parade Winners

People’s Choice – Peter LeGage – Mr Lighthouse

Director’s Choice – MLF Sea Goddess Float

Antique Vehicle – Drive Maine

Band – Nutmeg Fife & Drum

Commercial – Hannaford

Marching – the Strand

Non-Profit – Veterans of Foreign Wars/ Air Craft Carrier USS Independence

Theme – Friendship Trap

Want to Participate?

Groups and organizations interested in participating in the parade may download, fill it out and mail it to Maine Lobster Festival, PO Box 552, Rockland ME 04841 or email the application to us at [email protected].

In addition to floats, it also features the grand marshal, the newly crowned Maine Sea Goddess, the Sea Princesses and their escorts, King Neptune and his court, and a variety of bands, marching units, drill teams and more.  The Maine Lobster Festival Committee is excited to see the Lobster Art that participants come up with this year.

There is no fee for participating in the Big Parade.

The festival parade has for many years drawn the largest crowd of the weekend and often proves to be among the longest parades in Maine during the year. Grand marshals for festival parades have ranged from local, long-time workers for the event to influential community members.

Watch the full 2022 parade ONLINE

Antique Vehicle – Union Fair Auto
Non-Profit – Rosie’s Hugs
Novelty – Black Harpoon

2019 Parade Winners:

Marching – Gym Gandies
Band – Lincolnville Community Band
Commercial – Horch Roofing
Theme – Hannaford

Marching – Gym Gandies
Band – Lincolnville Community Band
Commercial – Horch Roofing
Theme – Hannaford