Sunday, August 2
7 AM – 6 PM
All Day
Free Shuttle Bus
The festival provides free shuttle services to and from the festival grounds from the following locations. A bus arrives at each location approximately every 30 minutes.
- South Elementary School: 30 Broadway, Rockland, ME
- Oceanside High School: 400 Broadway, Rockland, ME
Check days for detailed schedule:
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Wednesday: 11AM – 10PM
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Thursday, Friday, and Saturday*: 8:30 AM – 11:30 PM
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Sunday: 8:30 AM – 6:30 PM
Bus arrives at each location approximately every 20 minutes. Saturday morning shuttle service will be limited due to the parade. *Shuttle will not be running approximately 9 am – noon Saturday, Aug. 1.
All Day
Art Show in Fine Art & Craft Tent
“Heritage, History, and Ancestry” (at the Maine Heritage Tent at Middle Pier)
Listen for music and festival announcements in the PA booth.
Touch Tank, Books, & Demonstrations of the Maritime Industry in the Marine Tent, on Middle Pier
5 am
Registration for the International Great Crate Race Opens, Information Booth
Registration continues until the 75 available slots are filled, but they go quickly! There is a fee of $15 for contestants 12 and older and $10 for children 11 and younger.
7 to 10 am
Pancake Breakfast, Food Tent
All-The-Pancakes-You-Can-Eat! Featuring blueberry pancakes, sausage, juice, coffee and milk.
*all you can eat refers to pancakes only
8 am
5k & 10k Road Race begins near the main gate.
8:30 am
Kids Fun Run begins near the main gate.
9 am
Registration for Children’s Events, Information Booth
Registration for the Codfish Carry, Lobster Eating Contest, and Little Lobster Diaper DerbyDiaper Derby.
9:30 am
Presentation of 10K, 5K, Kids’ Fun Run Awards, near the main stage
Awards are presented to overall race winners and top male and female finishers in multiple age categories for our Fun Run, 10K and 5K races.
11 am
Cod Fish Carry, Main Stage
Participants run across the Maine Stage to a skiff, where they must put on fisherman’s foul-weather gear, including a Sou’wester (yellow fisherman’s hat), big rain jacket, and rubber boots as quickly as possible. After they are dressed, they must run over to a net containing a slippery, 12-pound cod, pick it up, and carry it back to the skiff. This event is for children entering 2nd, 3rd, or 4th grade.
11:30 am
Lobster Eating Contest, Main Stage
The rules are simple—the first person to finish eating a 1 1/4 lb. steamed lobster wins. Participants must finish two claws, two knuckles, and the tail to be considered done. This event is for children age 8-11.
Noon to 5 pm
The food tent opens to serve fresh Maine lobsters and other seafood. Menu
Noon
Little Lobster Diaper Derby, Main Stage
A crawling race for our youngest festival-goers. Parent coaches sit on each side of the Main Stage, cheering them on, coaxing them toward the finish line using a range of creative methods, and ensuring that they stay on course. The first Little Lobster to finish wins! This event is for crawlers only, walkers will be disqualified.
1 to 5 pm
Cornhole Tournament, In front of the Beer Garden
Teams compete for cash prizes! $60 per team of two. Register online anytime or in person at noon the day of.
2 pm
International Great Crate Race, Rockland Harbor
The race course is a string of 50 lobster storage crates stretching across a section of Rockland’s inner harbor in full view of the festival grounds. While trying to reach the other end, contestants scamper across the barely floating lobster crates. If successful, a contestant turns and heads back to the other end. The “race” for each runner continues until a fall into the water occurs or until exhaustion takes over.
Sign up begins at 7 am day-of on the far end of the Food Tent, but spots fill up quickly, so we recommend getting in line a few hours early.
5 pm
Wreath Laying Ceremony, Public pier behind the Harbormaster’s Office
King Neptune and the 2026 Maine Lobster Festival Delegate lead a wreath ceremony for fishermen lost at sea.
6 pm
79th Maine Lobster Festival Closes
See you at the 80th annual Maine Lobster Festival, Aug. 4 – Aug. 8, 2027!