The 77th Annual Maine Lobster Festival is Five Days of Peak Summer, Filled with Food and Fun
Cracking open a steamed lobster on the coast of Maine is one of life's truly great moments. The meat is sweet and tender. The butter warm and liquid. It's messy, visceral, and delicious. The Craignair Inn by the Sea and Causeway Restaurant is ideally situated in a lobstering community on the St. George Peninsula, where the freshest crustaceans are available year-round. But there is something particularly satisfying about a summer seafood feast, and a small town that celebrates the bounty of the ocean every August. This is where the Maine Lobster Festival comes in to make this your best summer ever.
It is a scenic twenty minute drive from The Craignair Inn to Rockland, Maine, the lobster capital of the world, where every year since 1948, a festival has been held to honor the lobstering industry, promote the people who live and work in this waterfront community, and welcome folks from all over the world. There is a palpable pride and excitement among volunteers and visitors alike, and a small town spirit that permeates the MidCoast as we show off what we do best in the bright hot August sunshine.
Festival Dates and Events
This year, the Maine Lobster Festival will take place in Rockland's Harbor Park from Wednesday July 31 - Sunday August 4, 2024. Admission to the festival is free every day. Visitors can pay to park in designated lots, or park for free and take the free Festival shuttle bus to the venue. No matter how you arrive there, the fair is just a short, picturesque drive from The Craignair Inn.
The Festival is officially opened on July 31 at 12 Noon, when King Neptune and his court arrive on the main dock to raise the flag. Make your way to the food tent, where local volunteers are serving lobster dinners, steamed clams, corn on the cob, coleslaw, fish chowder, lobster bisque, and more! Be sure to grab a bib and extra napkins!
You are cordially invited to a coronation at 6:30 Wednesday night on the Main Stage, where a Lobster Festival Delegate will be crowned. This is also the place where great local bands will play throughout the five day festivities. From Thursday through Sunday, there is a pancake breakfast every morning from 7 am until 10.
Kid and Family Friendly Happenings
Children of all ages will not want to miss Black Beard and the Pirates of the Dark Rose, skilled in (temporary) tattooing, (theatrical) sword fights, fortune telling, and further hijinks from the high seas. Visit the nearby marine touch tank to get up close and personal, and even hold if you'd like, lobsters, crabs, and other critters form the deep.
There are midway games and play structures for climbing, bouncing, and getting a bird's eye view of the fairgrounds and Rockland Harbor. The low key rides are affordable, and the spirit of adventure is strong. This is an old fashioned county fair!
Other fun family events include the Little Lobster Diaper Deby, a hilarious and adorable baby race across the Main Stage, a Cod Fish Carry that is slippery and silly, a Lobster Eating Competition, and The Great Crate Race, where kids run across a wiggly bridge of crates.
Live Music, Lobster, and Local Beer!
To please the grownups in your crowd, the Festival boasts Steins and Veins, a beer and wine tent with a selection of exceptional local libations, open from 3:30 - 7. In the arts and crafts tent discover a unique piece to take home as an authentic and aesthetic souvenir. Participate in the 5k or 10k road race. Listen to fantastic bands who play original tunes and cover bands doing your favorites to sing and dance to. And, of course, eat loads of lobster every day from 12 until 8 pm! This is the ultimate foodie location!
If you are a fan of small town summer sentiment and classic Americana you will not want to miss the Big Parade Saturday morning at 10, which runs the length of Rockland Main Street. Find a great spot and settle in for a sweet succession of good cheer. There will be floats. There will be candy. There will be Shriners in tiny cars with funny hats, fire trucks, costumes, fair food, and lots of lovely folks representing organizations they belong to, as this parade is a real community effort!
Without a doubt, the Maine Lobster Festival is one of the highlights of the summer in MidCoast Maine. And perhaps the loveliest part of all, is coming back to The Craignair Inn by the Sea, your home away from home in Spruce Head, Maine. Our bed and breakfast provides all the peace, beauty, and quiet you seek. Welcome to Vacationland.
The Craignair Inn by the Sea: Your Luxurious Bed-and-Breakfast Base Camp for the Greatest Summer Lobster Festival in Maine, or, Quite Possibly, the World.
Book a guest room at The Craignair Inn by the Sea, which will be your peaceful retreat from the fair, with some of the finest hospitality and dining on the MidCoast!