ROCKLAND, Maine — The 65th annual Maine Lobster Festival will kick off at noon Wednesday along Rockland’s waterfront.
Promoters are hoping that good weather and Maine’s most valuable seafood product will make the 2012 edition of the annual summer event another success.
Tim Carroll, president of the festival board, said Monday the biggest change this year is the switch of days for the Family Fun Day when admission to the festival is free. The free day traditionally has been Wednesday but was changed to Sunday for this year’s event.
Carroll said there has been criticism from some people about the change but that the festival directors felt that more local people would be able to avail themselves of the activities on Sunday rather than on a day during the workweek.
“They can enjoy a whole day of family events,” Carroll said.
The festival also will be giving a boost to the beleaguered lobster industry by buying around 20,000 pounds of the crustacean. The record year was a few years ago when 26,000 pounds were consumed at the five-day festival.
“We’re here to promote the Rockland area and promote lobster,” Carroll said.
The gates to the festival open at noon Wednesday. Admission on Wednesday is $5 for adults, $2 for children 6 to 12, and free for children 5 and younger.
Wednesday will see the coronation of the Maine Sea Goddess. Eighteen young women are vying for the crown.
There will be live music, a crafts tent for children and numerous vendors and carnival rides. The price of tickets for the rides is not included in the admission price. Carnival bracelet days will be on Thursday, Friday and Sunday, beginning at noon, where for $15 a child can get a bracelet to ride for the day.
The parade starts at 10 a.m. Saturday from Oceanside High School East on Broadway to the main entrance of the festival grounds on Main Street.
A 10-kilometer road race and children’s one-mile fun run will be held Sunday morning.
A full schedule is available at www.mainelobsterfestival.com.
they say they changed Hometown day, which is free admission, so families could enjoy it more on Sunday, however, they fail to point out what every local already knows, Sunday is breakdown day for most of the vendors, it’s a ghost town down there by noon, thanks for nothing ….
Complaining about not getting a freebie?? Sheesh. Go on Wednesday and pay…
wouldn’t pay to get in, as a resident I don’t feel I should have to, sorry, that’s just my opinion
Especially given that residents already “pay,” through the highly irregular granting of fee waivers by the City. But better to pay than the latter.
What is wrong with you? Have you any idea how much money the Lobster Festival rakes in every year? Us locals have to put up with the traffic, the noise and the smell, not to mention the onslaught of rude tourists! Hometown Day is a tradition in Rockland. The free admission was the one thing that made it all worthwhile.
AGREED!
Go on Sunday. Problem solved. And don’t act like the event doesn’t do as much for you as what you do (or “put up with”) for the event.
On Sunday, the Festival closes at 4:00. The vendors start tearing down on Sunday. The Festival Committe has given the citizens of Rockland the proverbial “shaft”.
So pay 5 bucks and go some other day. This is absolutely ridiculous to complain about, but I shouldn’t be surprised in these BDN comments. It’s a nasty nest of complainers…
Do you feel the same way about the Blues Festival that happens every year too?
Paul Benjamin’s Blues Festival does not prey on sentimentality, nor does it extract pounds of flesh in ‘return’ for pseudo-philanthropic bounty for which residents are to be eternally grateful year-round, nor tax the residents and engage in City service waiver appeals, (with near full-support), there is no what anyone would deem emotional blackmail. No shoving down the throat of, “Look what I’m doing for Rockland.” The event is professionally run. There is non of the quid pro quo that occurs with the Lobster Festival. There are clear benefits to the community, and beyond.
The Lobster Festival Corporation/Rockland Festival Corporation would do better to become a for-profit venture. As it is now, the price for any ‘free’ day is far too high.
I heard a rumor that the Festival was getting their lobsters from Canada this year. Can anyone confirm or deny this?