Well it's the last day of the 60th Annual Maine Lobster Festival and it's cooler and less humid than the past few days. They were real hot and muggy scorchers.
The biggest, best, and most popular event is saved for 2 pm on the last day. The Great International William Atwood Lobster Crate Race! Invented 31 years ago by Bill Atwood, it became a part of the Spruce Head Island festivals for it's first tens or so years and then became part of the Maine Lobster festival in Rockland. Well it's time to stroll on down to the harbor.
We're getting close to the end of the Lobster Festival, but there's still time for some more pics of all the great food, people, and weird events. It's interesting how really good all the festival food is. The purveyors get the freshest local ingredients they can. I have watched behind the scenes at many of the food booths and have seen the ingredients used, and the hard work being done, as they continually prep and make the food to order.
The fried seafood booth starts with fresh scallops, shrimp, etc. and breads them and fries them as you wait. It's frantic in there, but also choreographed as the family practically dance around each other as they work.
Today there are several events that I plan to attend. One is the children's cod carry contest, the other is the children's lobster eating contest. I have been warned that both can get pretty messy and to stand back so I don't end up wearing anything that I would prefer not too. I'll stick to the milder pics because some of them are a bit messy for Slashfood.
Today is the day of the big parade during the 60th Annual Maine Lobster Festival in Rockland, Maine. I won't have too many actual food photos, but I don't think you folks will mind since the whole parade is to celebrate everything lobster. One of the finest foods to crawl the ocean floor.
I have been so busy mornings of the festival that I haven't made it to the main food tent before 11am when they start serving the lobsters. But, every morning from 7am to 11am is an all you can eat blueberry pancake extravaganza for just $5.00 Today I finally made it there to take a quick look around before I ran off to the parade on Main Street.
It's another beautiful day here in Rockland, Maine at the Lobster Festival. It's 80 degrees which is nice, although it hit 90% humidity, which makes it feel like a real scorcher.
Set up close to the main entrance are two huge maps. One of the USA and one of the World, with a cup of colored pins and thumbtacks. You are asked to stick a pin in the map to show where you are from. So far every state in the US is represented. That's pretty exciting when you think about it. As I checked out the map of the world I said to myself, wow every continent is represented as well. Except of course for Antarctica. But then I looked closely and saw a pin in the Queen Maud Land area of Antarctica and when I got home and did some research it seems that's where Norway's research station is. That blew my mind. People really do come from all over the world for this festival.
I went to see the "Real Maine Man" cooking competition today and it was pretty strange. Besides the dish, you also got rated on how you introduced yourself, your clothes, and had to answer some Maine related questions. The contest was being held for the first time this year and hadn't been publicized too well. So there were only three entrants. I think that next year there will be a LOT more guys entering the competition.
The first day of the 60th Annual Maine Lobster Festival was a rousing success. Today was Home Town Day at the festival where everyone, not just us locals, get in for free. I arrived at 11:30 when the lobster serving tent had already been open for 30 minutes and there was already a very long line. So I just walked around taking photos of all the food and people.
Everyone seemed to be having a great time, although many people were walking around in that daze that happens when you go to a crowded festival. So much is going on around you, and there are so many bright colors and loud sounds, that it kind of zones you out a bit. Mostly everyone was focused on getting themselves a couple of Lobstahs.
Prices are a bit higher than 60 years ago at the first Maine Lobster Festival. Back in 1947 it was 41.00 for all the lobsters you could eat. Now it's a tad higher. A single lobster dinner with corn and coleslaw runs $15.00, a double is $25.00, and a triple, the best deal, is $35.00. Considering that the typical single lobster dinner here in Maine is around $20-22 these aren't bad prices. Of course with soft-shell lobsters running $6.00 a pound you can get the best deal by making them at home. But then you don't have the fun of being a total crustaceanavore in public with all the other like minded folks.
A photo essay of a day at the festival after the jump.
Today kicks off the start of the 60th Annual Maine Lobster Festival. The festival, based in Rockland Maine takes place for five day in the beginning of every August. This year it runs from August 1st - 5th, 2007. It's been shown on the Good Morning America, the Food Network and other channels many times and is a celebration of all things lobster and Maine. people come from all over for the festival, and I do mean all over. In the parking lots you will see license plates from states as far away as Washington and Alaska, as well as all parts of Canada. In the past I have even run into people visiting from England, Sweden, Japan, and more.
During the time between now and Sunday evening I will cover as much as I can of all the weird, whacky, and food related events that take place, including the children's lobster eating contest, the children's codfish carry, the "Great International William Atwood Lobster Crate Race", the Sea Goddess contest, the "Real Maine Man" cooking contest, the Maine Seafood Cooking contest (which my friend Risa Small has won twice), the blindfold rowboat race, the little lobster diaper derby (lobsters and diapers together sounds downright strange), and all the festival food.
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