Maine Lobster Festival

5 out of 5! We traveled from Northwest Arkansas for this event. Ran into one of the event Organizers (Cecilia), who literally welcomed us with open arms. Very well organized. The lobster was AMAZING. Don't miss out on the all you can eat Maine blueberry pancake breakfast! So delish. On the second day of the festival, surprise visit from the USS Arlington. Free ferry ride out to tour the ship. Total blast. And lastly, the plethora of vendors. What a great experience!

Horrible! I know the volunteers are doing their best with what they have to work with. The biggest problem is the fact that you pick up your hot food and then you have to wait in a 10 to 15 minute line to pay for your food. By that time, your food is cold and nasty. Who in the hell wants to pay $85 for three cold lobsters? My wife and I both observed people just bypassing the line altogether and going and eating their food. I don't know if they ever went back and paid for it or not. One guy had four trays of double lobsters and walked right by the checkout area. The steamed clams were absolutely horrid. By the time we got them to the table, they were cold. Many of them were broken, and even of those that were not, there was no way to tell whether they were alive when they were put in the steamer or not. In other words, there was no way to tell whether they were good or bad to eat. After paying $24, we figured it was wise to just throw them all away. Then there's the souvenir stand. We found some nice souvenir t-shirts and bags that we were planning to buy however, someone pointed out that the line for the single cash register went all the way around the entire tent and we would probably looking at a 20 to 30 minute wait to check out. We decided to leave our items there. I would never go back to the Lobster Fest, nor would I recommend anyone ever attended it. For the price of the lobster dinners as well as the price of any nearby hotel stay, you could certainly buy a hell of a lot of lobsters right close to wherever your home is.

Free entry, but be prepared to pay well for everything else, of course the lobster is worth it. The USS ARLINGTON was in port, and had free tours of the ship, Very informative, different operations and parts of the ship were well explained, the crew was polite, friendly and professional. Lots to eat, and a lot going on, too much to list here.

We had a good time but more benches are needed. My friend who has trouble walking needed a place to sit occasionally but the benches were all full. The vendors were fun and the music was wonderful!

Fun festival to check out if you happen to be visiting Maine. We were able to see step by step how the lobsters are steamed and “walked” to the distribution to be sold for consumption. The town is small and cute, nice views of the water. Do check out the visitor’s center too. Lots of great information about the area and nature preservation efforts.

I came with my family for the 2025 lobster festival. It was my first time here since 2012. It has changed a lot. It is still outdoors and beautiful. Unfortunately, they got rid of rides and swapped them for kids bounce houses and a jump trampoline - all with their own fees. The entire fair is run by volunteers, who are rewarded for their hard work with a 1/2 off a lobster dinner or lobster roll coupon (cheap, no?) It was definitely a dog friendly event, water bowls everywhere and a dog friendly crowd, which was nice for us and my pup. The dog show was fun, but poorly organized and awkwardly announced. The audience members, many of them with their dogs, were forced to roast in the sun for the duration of the dog show, which seemed cruel to the dogs who were hiding from the sun under lawn chairs. The woman announcing for the fair had a flat, robot, monotone voice. Many people said she sounded "depressed." The volunteers were very nice and seemed genuinely happy to be helping out. The prices shocked me. In 2012 the lobster dinner cost 14 or 16 bucks. This year, 32 dollars for the lobster dinner (full lobster w butter, half a cob of corn, a tiny cole slaw and a wet nap). The lobster roll - lobster on a hot dog bun - $30! We went out to local restaurants other nights and quickly realized that you can be served your lobster in a restaurant for 32-36 bucks just about everywhere in Rockland and Camden. The other scam to be aware of - the double lobster dinner, which is simply double the price of the single, doesn't include double sides, so you actually get less for your money if you order the double instead of 2 singles. Also, those who run the festival really sold out. As you enter the festival you have to walk down a narrow row of food trucks, vendors and carts. Not lobster carts or seafood shacks as would be expected - dominos pizza, fajitas, taco stands and other random oddities that took away from the coastal Maine seafood vibe expected at lobster fest. There is undoubtedly some up and coming culinary seafood talent in maine. They should be given the chance to let their skills and meals shine with food carts instead of dominos. There was a seafood competition. These people should be given a chance to run a food cart to get their food to the festival attendees instead of a handful of judges. I know the vendors pay to be there, but it would be better to have a small fee for the fair (5 or 10 per person or family) to not be greeted by dominos at lobster fest. I heard a local conversing with a shop owner in Camden. Basically, I learned that attendence is down and less lobsters have been sold this year according to lobster fisherman, because those who run the fair are not listening to attendee feedback (people have wanted the rides back for years apparently). The weather (gray and rainy one of the days) and another local festival apparently contributed to the lower attendance as well. Oh, my daughter loved the touch tank, holding lobsters and crabs and they had cool t shirts and hoodies to purchase. All in all I would come back for another round of lobster fest, but I don't know if I would be as excited to eat here. It is gorgeous and there are parks everywhere in Rockland, so I might just eat elsewhere and enjoy everything else the fair has to offer.

The Maine Lobster Festival is always fun and fulfilling...from the locals to all the travelers from across the USA...friendly faces, service and the delicious lobster eats! Can't wait til the next one...

Free Parking at the elementary school, with free bus ride to the gates.

I was a little disappointed for the most part in this festival, personally I was expecting more lobster options than a main tent and one very bad frozen lobster food truck. I expected a larger variety of lobster food items. But there was a tent with hand crafted local items, something I enjoy and a bounce house area for the kids, although a little overpriced. Another take away was the lack of seating areas other than the main food tent, if you did buy food here there were little to no areas to sit and eat or take a break. All in all we had been trying to get to this festival for years, but once was enough.

When we found out about this lobsterfest we knew we had to go because who doesn't love lobster? It takes place every year in Rockland ME for about 5 days. There is music, food tents, vendors, drinks etc.. We enjoyed the lobster meal complete with lobster, slaw, corn on the cob. We also had an order of haddock with fries and fried shrimp. Ofcouse we had lobster rolls that were to die for. The place is organized and by the harbor so its nice and breezy. There are plenty bathrooms and washing stations. There is a shuttle bus if you park at the South School that takes you to the festival. It was alot of fun and the food was delicious.

Finally had a chance to check this one off my bucket list! Came on the second day of the festival, which ran for five days, and it was smaller than I expected. They had different activities planned on different days of the festival, so be sure to check out the program before going. Prices for all things lobster were higher than I thought they would be, but comparable to what I've been paying while visiting Maine. Luckily admission was free this year for their 75th anniversary. Parking right across was $15 or you could take a free school bus if you parked at one of two schools nearby. Their main food tent sold steamed lobsters (you could buy a single, double, or triple lobster dinner which came with corn on the cob), mussels, clams, chowder (clam, lobster corn, fish, and seafood), and dessert (blueberry cobbler and strawberry shortcake). There was also a tent nearby that sold lobster rolls and various food trucks. A few large tents had vendors that sold homemade items too. There was live music playing while we were strolling around, which was nice. Saw a super small kids area with just a few bounce houses. My 3 year old wasn't even interested in that. A beer tent was located in the back of the festival for those 21+, so if you brought your kids with you to the festival, you couldn't enjoy a beer unless you/your partner took turns in the tent. Their steins and veins tasting event seemed cool, but was super packed. Not sure how anyone could enjoy that one. I enjoyed my steamed lobster and corn, and also tried a blueberry turnover. The turnover was packed with blueberries and wasn't sweet at all. Wasn't really a fan of it. Lines for food weren't long at all, but we also ate around 230pm, so may have missed the lunch crowd. I'm glad I got to check out the Maine Lobster Festival, but likely won't return another year. Once was plenty!

This was a fun, excellent experience!!! I highly recommend it to lobster lovers everywhere. The festival is run entirely by local volunteers who are very warm and welcoming.

We had an awesome Lobster dinner with Corn on the Cob and Cole Slaw. It was followed by Strawberry Shortcake served over a homemade biscuit. Thank goodness for the plastic bib. After dinner, we enjoyed watching the 'Great (Lobster) Crate race and visiting all of the vendors. The parking at the school with the shuttle bus was the only way to go.

I have had this event on my bucket list for a few years, and I am glad that I can finally cross it off. We parked at the high school for free, but after waiting 20 minutes and not seeing a single shuttle bus, we decided to take the 25-minute walk to the festival. Admission was free, and the lines in the SUN for LOBSTAH, ROLLS and MAC were already stupid long. Having toured around New England before, we knew we could find better LOBSTAH prices elsewhere. The SUN was brutally hot last Saturday, so we decided to wander through the arts and crafts tents where the shade made things more bearable. I had expected to see some tents from the local craft breweries, but all that was available was hard seltzers. That sounded like a HEADACHE waiting to happen, so I declined. After an hour and a half of people watching, taking pictures of the harbor etc., we decided to VAMOOSE. Walking back to the high school we did not see any shuttle buses going in either direction. MEH, this festival sounded better that it turned out to be. Also, there are many prettier seaside towns than Rockland.

Been coming to this festival for 13 years ( minus covid year ) ... lobsters, prices , and entertainment were always first class . 2023 took several steps back ... prices were very high .. $29 for single / $55 for double ( $26 for the second lobster ) ! Those were by far the highest prices ever at the festival and worse , they were higher than almost anywhere else in the region . Wiscasset's Spragues was $17.95 per 1.25 chick ... $8 under the festival's prices ! Almost anywhere in the region was considerably less . No shrimp corn chowder and out of blueberry cobbler everyday by 4pm when we got there . Huge disappointment this year . Questioning our furure return . Cheaper and easier to eat lobster and stay several other close locations . Really sad to see it come to this . Entertainment on stage was excellent . One thing .. Thursday dinner time I got the 3 lobster dinner .. not cheap ..$77 ... and the guy handing out butter said the rules were that only ONE BUTTER per meal .. he would only give me 1 butter for use on my 3 lobsters ! Seriously ? I just paid you $77 and you refused to give me more than 1 measly butter ? Not a terrible miscarriage but I'm fearful it's indicative of the "new lobster festival " ! How about some common sense people ! Rethinking our 2024 plans ! I can actually buy lobster cheaper from the grocery store on Maryland $9.99/lb or $12.50 for a 1.25# chick !

Very disappointed in the lobster festival this year 2023. we drive along way to come to this event every year,. the prices this year for lobster dinners were ridiculous. we walked out hungry. went to a restaurant for a more reasonable meal, will not return, better to charge admission and lower the price of everything else. Extremely Disappointed Ben A

Lobsterfest was everything I expected it to be and more! It's a small festival celebrating my favorite cockroach of the sea, the lobster, nestled in this quaint little town in Maine called Rockland. Yes, it's full of tourists and is very kitchy, but I just adored everything about it. Everyday offers different events, shows, bands, contests, etc., so there is a fun variety of things to do. I only attended one day of the festival (which is free admission on Sunday BTW), but I have to say my favorite thing was the crate races. It's hilarious!! The line for the lobster dinner is long, but it moves fast and, in my opinion, is worth the wait. I got to experience cracking open and breaking down my first soft shell lobster, along with the nasty green goo found inside. It was a fun, interactive dining experience and although my hands smelled like the ocean for the rest of the day, the flavor and texture and all the butter sauce made it tolerable. If you don't have a set agenda, you can probably get through the whole festival within a couple of hours, and when you do, take a walk through downtown Rockland. There are a ton of wonderful shops and places to eat if you are lobstered out or need to escape the heat and sun (it's in August, so it was significantly warm). It was worth the beautiful drive from Portland and I would recommend any out-of-towners who love seafood to go at least once. It's a lot of fun! *Shout out to the LAYS potato chip company for supplying free lobster roll flavored chips!*

Visiting Maine Lobster Festival can now officially be checked off my bucket list. I only went one of the days but I felt that was plenty of time to see what I wanted to as the festival wasn't that large. Got to enjoy watching the Seafood cooking competition, ride a few carnival rides (they don't have many, maybe 5 total?), pig out on some lobster and typical carnival food like funnel cake, and cotton candy. Overall, was a good time and can say I was there for the 70th anniversary! Probably would not return but that's simply because my bucket list is just too large so have to move on to something else. Thanks for a great time Maine Lobster Fest!

Not worth the price of admission, which was free. Only one hour in on the first day, looong lines for food. One cup of lobster Mac & cheese $20, salty but not very tasty. Already ran out of clam chowder. Huge line for lobster rolls.... Forget it. Only gets one star because I can't do zero.

On an extended trip to New England we decided to spend a couple of days at the lobster festival. I'm Camden. what a waste of time. first day on Wednesday only one register was working for the dinning tent and credit cards had to be processed by hand. the line was ridiculous. no lobster that day. I prepaid for the wine tasting on the second day and the event was so over sold for the tent size I finally gave up and walked away from my $140 for two tickets. BTW I did get some lobster the second day-it was as expensive as in any nearby restaurant but not as good. save yourself some trouble and just go to a nice restaurant for your dinner. nothing else at the festival is worth more than a 20 minute drive.

Yes, it's touristy as all hell. But why does that have to be a bad thing? Whenever I tell other people from Maine that I want to go to this, they roll their eyes and complain about the tourists (which I do understand--as a native Mainer, that is a very real annoyance to us sometimes). However, I've lived away for the past 8 years, and now that I'm back, I was all over this event last summer. Boyfriend and I love quirky and cheesy tourist attractions! I would definitely recommend planning your visit at a time when a scheduled event is happening. We planned our visit during the Lobster Crate Race, and it was so much fun to watch. Most of the adult competitors sunk right into the water from the start (including one guy in a tutu--well done, sir!), but it was so cute to see the kids triumphantly bounding from crate after crate because they're so light. There's also one day when admission is free (usually a Sunday), so look out for that if you're watching your spending. For food, there's obviously (admittedly rather overpriced) lobster and lobster rolls, but there are also other fair food-type options if lobster isn't your thing. You could also always explore around downtown Rockland to find some local restaurants, which is what we did. There are also quite a few museums to check out, including the Lighthouse Museum and the Farnsworth Art Museum. It's a really cute town!

Very fun stop as we were passing through the area. Hit it up on their opening day with $1 admission. Enjoyed the double lobster meal for $31.

I was at the lobster festival...for 4 days in a row... I was a vendor in the Marine tent and I was able to stay at a nice motel about an hour away from Rockland at a motel called Colonial Gables Oceanfront Village 7 Eagle Avenue, Belfast, ME, 04915.. I only spent $129.00 a night and stayed there 4 nights....$516.00 for the week... I had a wonderful time there and will be back in 2016 . . . I ate at a wonderful restaurant called Archers on the Pier... spent another $75.00 on a few drinks and appetizers . . . if you visit the Maine Lobster Festival you just have to brave enough to open your wallet and spend money....

It's an experience, however, it's really just a carnival/craft fair that sells lobster. I don't think that the admission was worth the price. Simply make it free and let the vendors charge what they will. The lobster was fresh and well prepared. We sat at a long communal table with a couple from Pasadena, CA. Nice people who shared their steamers with us. The rest of it was simply "CARNY". Deep fried Twinkies, funnel cakes, corn dogs etc. Much to my embarrassment, I couldn't knock over the tin can with a cork from a cork gun, but my wife ...BLAMMO ! SHE gets the prize !! If you're coming here just for lobster, go to one of the local lobster pounds. It's a one day event, with no real need to spend more time than that. The lobster festival parade however, was an amazing bit of small town Americana ! We both loved it !! We enjoyed every moment of the communal pride and in partaking in this wonderful, wonderful event. If you are going to the Lobster Festival we strongly advise contouring your trip to enjoy this wonderful parade and celebration of all things Lobster and Rockland !!!

This was a good weekend away from the city and soaking up the atmosphere. It's not an exceptionally large festival, however the emphasis is on food and the events associated with it. Parking turned out to be relatively easy on Saturday. We got down there in the morning for the pancake breakfast, so we were able to park in the bank parking lot for $10 for the day. The pancake breakfast was a nice start. You had the choice of plain or blueberry pancakes. A few sausages came with it and you were on your way. The picnic tables had maple syrup out. Saturday morning also brings the parade, which is a rather lengthy one, clocking in around 1.5 hours. The Shriners and the crazy 8's in their vehicles are a hit. Should not be missed. During the day, in addition to checking out the spiffy lobster steamer the town built (boils 1600 pounds of lobster at a time), or the crafts tent with souvenirs, artwork, and paper products, or amusement park rides for kiddies you can elect to visit Main Street shops or even schedule a ride with one of the lobster boats. We did a little of all of it. The weather was nice so it was great to be outside. The tent for lobsters was pretty packed during the lunch hours, but in the evening the line was almost non-existent. So, I'd suggest saving the lobster meal for dinner (though lunch and dinner is pretty sweet as well). For lunch, we mixed it up and ordered some fried scallops and fried shrimp for lunch. We sat at the top of the hill near the entrance and had a great view of the festival. For the lobster meal, most are soft-shell so there's not much of a fight for cracking the shells. Each evening there is usually a musical act. We bought seats for David Cassidy (a popular seller this year), and it was a hot mess. It was too funny watching women hold up lunchboxes, posters, and board games with Mr. Cassidy back in the Patridge Family heyday.

Wine tasting event was not that great. There were 4 tables of local wines and 4 local beers. They were all not that great. The four of us in the group gave away our tickets to others. We tried to give them away 4times before someone who would take them. The food is typical fair food. I ate a "turkey" leg that looked more like ham.... the lobster prices were better then the restaurants but not after you add up the price of an entrance fee. All in all. I would not go again, even if I lived closer. The art tents had some neat stuff to buy and look at but really not that impressive. I guess if you have kids for the carnival rides it would be better. But it's just the cheap crap rides. I was very disappointed, we came all the way from Michigan bc he heard it was awesome. Thank goodness there were other things much better that ocupided our time.

This was an awesome experience! It was very clean and well organized. The artwork and artisanal items sold were great and the food was amazing! We had: Steamed lobster - many many steamed lobsters. It was a lobster massacre at our table- they were absolutely terrific. No need for butter or lemon. Crab cakes - delicious with a kick Fried clams - yum - not overdone, just perfect Mussels - very dry, not so great Smoked Scallops - not my cup of tea but the hubby liked them - tasted like whitefish. Lobster role - delicious Fried PB&J - surprisingly very good My daughters had an amazing time. They loved all the rides (which were a bit expensive). There was plenty to do for adults and kids of all ages. We all especially loved the touch and learn section. We got to hold live lobsters, crabs and scallops. To my fellow yelpers, this is a lobster festival in Maine. Keep your expectations in check, they are going to serve lobster in the purest form, steamed. It is not a gourmet/foodie festival. It is a festival to celebrate the simplicity of a good lobster and in my family, a good time was had by all!!

Whole lobsters, clam chowder, blueberry ice cream, rock climbing, ferris wheel, cotton candy, caramel apples! Come for a day or half a day and bring some blueberry sodas home. Lots of food vendors and things to buy. I bought a big straw hat for $15 because I had been looking for one all summer! The whole lobsters were sweet and meaty, so fresh and good. My blueberry ice cream was delicious! The bf also bought me a charms necklace from Origami Owl hehe. Take the free shuttle from the designated schools.

Hugely disappointed by this "Lobster Festival." I was expecting a lot BIGGER and more things to eat and do. A lot of the festival was mostly for shopping-- lots of tents set up to suck in your money. Carnival Games for the kiddies, and at some point there was a band? There is a general admissions fee, and then you pay for your own food. What??? I had to pay to just walk around??? Yes. We drove so many hours from NJ and went out of the way just to stop by Rockland for this thing...sad to say we did not have the time of our lives. The lobster was meh. Price was reasonable for each lobster, but it certainly was not a party in my mouth. They were all boiled and I was expecting more meat, but to our dismay, it was mostly water when we broke the shell. Got the crab cakes-- not worth it. My first crab cake was undercooked so had to bring it back. I enjoyed the New England Clam chowder ($6) more than I did the lobster. Don't set your expectations too high for this. Side note: people in maine are just so nice!

I was very underwhelmed by the festival. Not worth the hour+ drive. And no craft beer on site.

We just happened to be going to Maine during this festival. Expecting a crowd and limited parking, we took a free bus from one of the schools. It dropped us off right at the entrance of the festival. It picked us up later that night quickly returning us to our car. The festival was smaller than I expected but we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. The atmosphere was that of plenty of folks having a good time. It was colorful with a little something for everyone. We took plenty of photos in front of the giant lobster. I had the best clam chowder from the Orrs Island Chowder Co. There was a huge tent with all kinds of lobster options, clam chowder, blueberry desserts, and much more. King Neptune and his mermaids walked up and down the aisles. We picked up a souvenir mug with free refills of soda all day. There was a huge tent with upscale arts & crafts. The vendors were top notch. I'd certainly return if in the area at the right time.

"If you work on a lobster boat, sneaking up behind someone and pinching him is probably a joke that gets old real fast." But you know what else gets old real fast?? THE MAINE LOBSTER FESTIVAL. Thank goodness we actually were prepared enough to plan other things to do on our road trip up to Maine from Boston, otherwise we would have been some of the saddest lobster eaters you have ever seen. And we were already pretty close to being that....yes, on the verge of crying from not having any lobster creativity and from boredom at this lack of a festival.... When you think of a lobster festival, you think of a festival that will have lobster in 30 different types of dishes and that your tastebuds just wouldn't know what dish to try first!! lobster ice cream, lobster pie....BUT NO. They only had whole lobsters. And that was it pretty much. And the whole lobsters were small and I think overcooked! And for $15-20 I could have spent that money toward a good lobster in a nice restaurant....Maine Lobster Festival you led us astray....Does it feel good to lead innocent lobster lovers to a giant void of lobster?? Does it??? The only other food there was were funnel cakes, corn dogs, blocks of fries and onion rings, and there wasn't even a giant lobster mascot!!! How could there not be a giant lobster mascot at a lobster festival? They have people in those outfits just outside of regular seafood places, yes somehow Rockland, Maine couldn't get their hands on a mascot outfit?? All I wanted was some delicious lobster concoctions and a photo with a giant lobster king, and I got neither of those...fail, Lobster Festival....fail...

Party of 6 from Texas. This is the second time I have been here and am definitely coming back again. I have always enjoyed the lobster and the festival overall. Main is absolutely beautiful. Coming back in 2 years for a month. Lots of fun and great food.

I had been trying to make it to Lobster Fest for 3 years now and finally I made it! While I had a great time due to the company I was with, this festival was a huge disappointment. I was expecting there to be Lobster Mayhem. Everything made from lobster. You know stuff you wouldn't normally think to do. This festival had everything except lobster mayhem. It had art, jewelry, touch tank, rock climbing, fried stuff, carnival games & rides, and even a pirate. But lobster was definitely lacking, as were the Fleet men... Lobster was $15 for a single dinner. I just bought 3 lobsters from Shaw's on Thursday for $4.99/lb. Was definitely cheaper to just do it myself at home. But that's all the lobster there was... the one main dinner tent was it and it was steamed. When you have lobster, you can have so many different varieties of cooking styles/recipes, why not take advantage of it and make bank? Or how about a lobster dessert? Lobster pastry? Something infused with lobster? Anything?! Usually when you go to fairs like there, and there's a theme, you're usually intoxicated with everything based on that theme. This truly was a huge disappointment. Especially after having driven 5 hours up from Boston and another 4 hours back to get home later that evening. On the bright side, I bought a lot of neat stuff at some of the stands and supported local businesses! For those thinking about doing it, it's not what you expect and probably not worth it if you're as into lobstahh and fleet men as I am! Also, no alcoholic beverages are sold, so it's not like you can carry around a cup and drink throughout the day like you would at some other festivals. I would suggest bringing your own flask or nips for the day to make it more fun.

As an avid lobster fan, I've had designs on heading to this festival for years now, and this year I was finally able to make it happen. My boyfriend and I planned a trip to travel between Portland and Bar Harbor and back over a 4-day span, and we spent two nights in Camden so we could spend a day at the festival. We ended up going on a Thursday, when there weren't very many people in attendance. I grew up in New Orleans and have been living in New York for almost 12 years now, so I've grown accustomed to expecting hideous crowds at events like this. I usually see vacations as an opportunity to escape the busy and hectic atmosphere of NYC, and I absolutely hate crowds, so it was a pleasant and welcome surprise to see how very uncrowded this festival was that day. The festival layout itself isn't very big: a handful of tents for food, events, or tables for local businesses to sell crafts, etc.; a small section of carnival game booths; a section for a few carnival rides; scattered booths along the pathway selling various carnival-friendly food and drink and other knickknacks; and a large stage for performances. I found it all very charming honestly, with a small town New England feel, and was even more charmed by how friendly the people were. Something new I learned while there: The reason they do the festival at this time of year is b/c it's the season of the soft-shell lobster. Lobsters apparently shed their shells and go into hiding as a new one grows, and once their shells have hardened just enough to protect them, they emerge. These lobsters have less meat than hard-shell ones since they're just growing into the new shell, but their meat is a little sweeter, and you can break them open using just your hands. Those of you who are expecting 2-lb hard-shell lobsters at this festival with tons of meat are going to be sorely disappointed, since they only cook and sell 1 - 1.5 lb soft-shell ones, so be forewarned that you really need to love lobster in its purest form to appreciate the fare this festival has to offer. The entrance fee was $8 when we went. I see several reviewers have complained about having to pay just to walk around, so if that is a concern for you, plan to attend on a day/night when there is a big performance or other major event so you get your money's worth. The food itself seemed reasonably priced ($23 for a twin lobster dinner? Um, yes, please!), but I also live in Manhattan and likely have a thwarted view on what is reasonable, so take my opinion for what you will. We got all of what we wanted and needed out of the festival in just one day. I don't really see it as a multiple-day affair for most people. If you're a tourist planning a vacation, make sure you have other options available for a multi-day trip, as there is plenty to do and see in Maine outside of the festival. Overall I really enjoyed the Maine Lobster Festival. I stuffed my face with my favorite shellfish for what I deemed a reasonable price, walked around in the gorgeous Maine weather and saw some great views since the festival grounds are next to the water, did some cute carnival-like things and bought souvenirs, and at no point felt rushed or claustrophobic or overwhelmed. It was an enjoyable and relaxing experience, and I hope to come back again in a few years during another trip to Maine.

Has anybody kind of lost their sense of humor regarding the Maine Lobster Festival? I mean, where else can you pick up a cooked lobster with a hot corn-on-the-cob (did I miss the wide, I mean white bun?) for an only $15? Then sit yer-self down in the "dining tent" eating your prize cheek-to-cheek along with thousands of well fed visitors from around (away) the world? When you've inhaled the seafood (claw&tail only of course), all of the nasty lobster shell&goo will be wisked away by the Festival workers (not like at home)! This is a fun festival time experience and its not just about saving coin on cheaper lobsters from the supermarket! Go have a little fun at The Lobster Festival and then somewhere along the line some of the dollars spent will get in the pockets of the hard working lobstermen.

I'm compelled to write this review since the other ones were so negative...I thought it was actually fun. I've been to midwest harvest festivals and county fairs home in Maryland. This was very similar - modestly crowded, a bunch of tents with vendors and crafts people, a lot of unhealthy food, and some crappy carnival rides. Check, check, check, and check! Know what it is and you won't be disappointed. We went primarily for the parade on Saturday morning. We got a good spot on Main St in front of the bank to sit on some granite blocks. The parade starts at 10 and goes until almost noon. Far too many politicians and odd businesses in the parade. But the local color, kids on unicycles, Shriners in minicars, a Sea Goddess and her pricesses, and a bunch of other typical festival things. A little hokey, a lot small townish, and plain fun the way people outside the giant eastern cities do it al the time. The festival itself was pretty singularly focused on the lobster tent. It wasn't very well publicized, but you can take ANY food from the festival into the tent - just go to the side of the lobster line and just go into the tent. I'm not a lobster fan so we got sandwiches at another booth and went in the "eating" tent and bought great corn on the cob and ate among all the people sucking legs and claws. The craft/art tent was interesting and had a lot of local artists and photographers. What I thought was stupid was the commercial ventures with booths (cell phone companies, really??). Other fair fare to eat? Fried oreos/twinkies/snickers, cotton candy, fried dough (skip the formality of a funnel cake and just go for "fried dough"), sausages, sandwiches, and everything fried you can think of. The carnival games and rides are the worst rip-off, but hey, they're carnie games! It's a little tacky and work around the edges, but that's exactly what I expected it to be. It doesn't claim to be high brow and fancy - go look at the website, the flicker gallery, and the other materials and it's accurately advertised for exactly what it is!

If you take away all the food at this event, all you'd have is a really bad carnival. That being said this is a festival with a great view. A million dollar view that is. But, people come here for one thing and that's to eat LOBSTAH, and it's here in abundance. The Mainiac's (people of Maine) are hospitable and considerate. This is a small town area, so it's festival carries with it small town feeling and that's a good feeling. No shootings, no robberies, no fights trust me I've been there. They had a nice Jimmy Buffet tribute band that rocked through the rain, they did a great job, and the crowd seemed to enjoy it. Maine offers so much more, and this is what the festival failed to show. There's a lot of history in Maine that they fail to utilize. I'd do this gig again, if not for the sumptuous food, for the such a good atmosphere

Lower your expectations, at least don't expect a deal I think many people on Yelp are fair to bash this event. And I'm grateful for their bashing. It helps me to accept this event for what it is. It is a celebration of eating lobster, not the complete absolute devouring of all things that looks like a lobster in your path, as many have expected of this event. Would I of the least bit care if it was just mindless devouring of lobsters? Of course not! Bring it on, any day, any where, any time! But again, this is not that type of event. After hours of driving to Rockland from Portland, with a few detours along the way, the first thing you need to worry about is parking. Fortunately, we came after the lunch hour madness (4 PM), and we were able to find parking a short few blocks away. There's a 2 hour parking limit, but there's no meter and I didn't see anyone getting ticketed, so I guess they go by the honor system. But the good thing about coming here at 4 PM is there parking restriction is from 9 - 6 PM, so we are basically free and clear to park the whole night. Upon arriving at the entrance, you are asked to pay $8 admission fee. $8 is not insanely expensive, but lowers the value if you come here strictly for lobsters. Think of this event as a combination of lobsters and a street carnival. There are tons of food beside lobsters. Lets just cover what I had first: Fried Oreos - Delcious! Nice pillowy dough with a thin crisp surrounding a soft warm Oreo. A nice appetitizer. Fried Snickers bar - Damn! Yes, its true, anything fried tastes good. But frying chocolate bar is a little over the top. I liked it, but it was really fulfilling. Lobster (x1) - After the Snicker bar, I would have pushed it to try to have 2 lobster. And what's the point? I rather feel full after one than sick after two. Coming here w/ 2 other friends is perfect as we split a Triple lobster meal and it came out to $11 per lobster. I know, not as cheap as buying it by the dock, but its consider a deal in NYC if you don't account for the admission fee. McCafe (free) - its a 4 oz cup, 2 oz of ice, but nothing beats free. Turkey Drumstick - I didn't have this, but I had it about 10 years ago in Disney World. I was really surprised when they charged my friend only $7 for it. That was how much I paid for a decade ago. So there's tons of street carnival stuff here, street carnival food, games (water gun to fill and pop a balloon), and rides. It is slightly better than your average street carnvial as there are bungy trampoline and rock climbing wall (win a $100 if you can climb the left side wall). I didn't try either as I'm not quite in shape to do either. Well, I was never really good with the wall anyway. Seeing how they cook the lobsters is nice. The huge brick surrounded cooker have 5 seperate tanks, each able to cook about 30 or 40 lobsters. You can smell the wonderful lobster aroma just by being near the cooker. I wish some one can formulate an air freshner w/ that aroma... One of the guys of the event also brings out live lobsters for people to hold and take pictures with. Its pretty cool that they do that. A safe way to play with your food, hehe. So what do I think about this place? I think its a must-go if you never been. Its fun just to make a trip out of this but really enjoy all the other restaurants that Maine have to offer when you are here. Maine does have other things to see (Acadia NP), but if your trip to Maine is about food, its nice to surround meals after meals of lobsters on your itinerary. It would be nice if the lobster festival have a deal like all you can eat for 1 sit-down session for like $50. Then people that want to OD on lobster can try, w/o breaking the bank for the organizers cause most people won't be able to eat $50 worth of lobsters anyway. But as is, its still fun if you don't expect to inhale lobster after lobster during the event. Decor: 3 out of 5 (the lobster cooker is neat) Service: 3 out of 5 (well organized, but its mostly serve yourself) Food: 4 out of 5 (come on, its fresh Lobsters!) Value: 3 out of 5 (upped by the Turkey leg)

The best vacation ever for lobster lovers. The lobsters have just molted their shells and are so sweet. There's a beauty pageant with King Neptune, who is escorted by the navy. There is also an entire festival with entertainment, cooking contests, rides, Maine craftsmen and artists . Great time had by all. Going back this year.

Lobster Fest - YES! But don't come expecting a grand display of Lobster. What to expect: County Fair... with a big Lobster Tent for meals. I set my expectations too high. Had all these ideas of grandeur. It was fun, don't get me wrong- but we walked the entire festival in about an hour, maybe less? Here we thought it was an all day event. The Lobster tent was priced pretty decently but ours were baby lobsters compared to some other people's. But thats just the luck of the draw I guess. The experience of eating messy lobsters all together in a mess hall was pretty fun! Spent some $ at the tchotchke tents. Oooh, the clam chowder- Mmm! Get some! The rest of the fair was generic fair food, t-shirt tents. Nothing spectacular.

I'm officially in love with Maine's soft shell lobsters! I've been thinking about them ever since I got back. Aside from those amazing fresh lobsters, this is more of an okay-scale carnival/ food festival. It is smaller than what I expected and certainly can't compare to some of the food festivals in NYC. It is probably not worth the 8-hour drive just to come here for the festival, but I highly recommend to stop by if you are in the area or can plan it as part of a road trip.

It is a relatively small festival in terms of exhibits and vendors, so go on a day when there are things on the entertainment schedule that you are interested in.

Loved the festival and the food tent. Two lobster, corn, cold slaw, steamers for $30. Not too shabby. Lobster was tasty. Lobster roll was $11 and there was a decent amount of meat. Non toasted bun. Venders were entertaining and good variety. Probably around 50 or so non food vendors. There is are soooo many food vendors to choose from. One critique is that there should be more lobster inspired vendors/cuisine other than the main lobster festival food tent. There was one vendor that you should absolutely stear clear of. I do not remember their name, but they sold "empanadas." They had a couple varieties, such as Lobster Asiago, Shrimp, crabmeat, and scallop and bacon. Neither were edible and we were so mad we spent so much money on them. The dough was stale and broke into peices. The meat inside was BURNED or overcooked. Every one was dry and the insides (barely stuffed empanadas) just rolled out because of how dry everything was. I was expecting a cheesy, gooey meal, but we took a bite of each and threw them out. They clearly just relied on the notion of "mmm emapanads" and put not effort into the actual 8-10 making of them. Shameful and they were so expensive - 8-10 bucks a peice. I felt like an idiot after buying them, but since the festival was so good, I really thought that it was quality food. I'll edit this post when I find their name.

I do not recommend this festival for a trip destination. You will be disappointed if you do. Very carnivally! Yes they did serve lobster, but lines were long, the lobster was not overly inexpressive, and there was a definite assembly line quality to what they served. Beware...! Second day of festival I had fried seafood platter and a cold lobster tail. My misses had an order of mussels. We shared the food with the exception of the cold lobster tail. Later that evening I ended up in the rest room throwing up and dry heaving for about 6 hours on and off. She was not affected. Can only assume it was the lobster. Regardless festival was a disappointment, food was really a disappointment! Won't be returning to this event any time soon!

Yes, it's cheesy and tacky but you can't get better bang for your buck with the awesome soft shell lobsters. We came a few times in the early aughts (is that a real phrase) and this was our first time back in 10 years. Lobster was just as goo as we remembered and worth the entrance fee. A Maine tradition.

I live in Cincinnati and went to Maine primarily for the festival. I volunteered putting wristbands on people entering the festival on Thursday and Friday. I had a blast. I did not know a soul going up there and met many great people from all over the U.S. I would see them later and they all were having a great time. I am surprised Maine has any lobster left because I ate it sometime 3 times a day. I will definitely go back as a volunteer and to enjoy the festivities.

One and done. 6 of us headed up to Maine from Boston for the weekend to enjoy Lobsterfest and do some camping while we're out there. We were stoked to see what this is all about...a 60 year tradition in Maine. We got to the main event Saturday right before noon after walking about 20 minutes from our parking spot (at Hanaford's because they blocked off all streets leading to Lobsterfest because of the parade). The parade preceding the fest seemed to be pretty lively and the town looked cute with a bunch of different shops. There were a lot of old people there. Like Moses leading his people through the desert, we finally reached our promised land. Paid $8 each to get in. There's definitely a carnival atmosphere with the tents and stands offering a variety of goods. My girlfriend and I are suckers for free stuff so we hit up the Cabot Cheese stand where they gave away freebies and samples then to the Airheads stand to toss some beanbags to score free candy. We walked towards the main tent where they serve the lobster dinner. Our first surprise, the lobsters ARE NOT CHEAP!! $15 for a single lobster dinner, $26 for a double and $35 for a triple. So if you eat by yourself you're paying $23 for a single lobster dinner. Secondly, there's not much else on the menu...some apps and sides. I thought there would be at least lobster bisque or some other way to enjoy it aside from getting lobsters from a giant steamer. The line to the tent was long so we walked around all the stands a couple times. They had a couple other tents set up...one where you can learn about the marine life in the area (live animals, giant whale bones, etc), another selling local goods (artwork, handiwork, postcards, etc). You'll be able to find most snacks you find at regular carnivals such as smoothies, deep fried candy bars/twinkies/oreos, fudge, popcorn, jerky, etc. We bought stuff here and there and decided to get into the line. About a 15 minute wait which isn't too bad. While in line, we bought a couple lobster rolls for $11. Very good! There were other stuff like crabcakes and sausages but we wanted to save our stomachs for the lobster dinner. My girlfriend and I decided to get our money's worth and split the 3-lobster dinner. The volunteers at the fest grab steamed lobsters from a giant blue plastic container and puts them onto paper trays for you. Paid for it and found some seats. Inside the tent is rows upon rows of particle board tables with benches. You're pressing up against other people's backs while you eat which might not be the most comfortable seating arrangement but people there are for the lobsters...not the comfort. We sat down, tore into our lobsters. Juices flowing everywhere. The lobsters must be cracked already or they have soft shells because we just used our hands to rip them apart. The lobsters were good even without butter. The lobsters themselves were very fresh and you can even see them steamer in action. The volunteers there are VERY friendly, stopping by and chatting for a bit. Once we were done, we walked around again and got more snacks since lobsters isn't the most filling thing. Walked to another tent to look at stuff but not really buy. Day filled with walking. We left Lobsterfest almost with a sense of "that's it?" We wished there were more to it. We were disappointed that there were more lobster recipes to try. We would have been more upset if it were a day trip to stay there for a few hours. On a side note, after Lobsterfest, we went bowling and the guy behind the counter asked if we went. When we nodded, he shook his head. He essentially told us we got ripped off. The lobstermen get paid about $2.35 per pound. You can go down to the docks as they unload and approach them with "I'll pay you $3 per lobster" and they'll ask "how many do you want?" Of course they still need the funds to set up an event like this but there's a big markup and is getting a little too commercialized. This local guy was just letting us know that we got ripped off...he had nothing to gain. Also, on our drive home, we stopped by Patty's Seafood (or something like that) because we were stuck in traffic and had some more really good lobster roll for $13. Well worth it. It's worth checking out but once you've been there, there's not much to draw you back for a return trip.

We drove from Philly to go to this and I can't believe we did. We actually stayed in Rockland for 4 days at the craptacular Navigator Inn - what a f'n dump. Honestly, don't waste your time and go to this, it's totally not worth it. Everything everyone said below is 100% true. The lobsters are small and expensive ($15/pop) and like one of the other reviewers stated, the whole town shuts down. Yes, shuts down. EVERYTHING WAS CLOSED AT 9PM. What town with a well known festival going on shuts down at 9pm??? Rockland is the strangest town I have ever been to, ever. Plus, I thought the people there were really really rude. I would never go back again, even if I was offered a free trip. IF YOU WANT THE BEST LOBSTER ROLL EVER - GO TO RED'S EATS - IT'S WORTH THE TRIP AND TIME YOU SPEND IN LINE!

So I guess it's good to say you've been to this but it's honestly not worth the money or hassle. My family made a weekend out of coming to Rockland (stayed at the Hampton Inn and took the shuttle from the HS) for the festival and left disappointed. You get free admission if you are in the military, make sure to ask. Not sure why admission costs around $8 when you don't get anything out of it. You pay lots of money for small lobsters. Recommend you just go to the local restaurants and spend your money there than here. The hotels were expensive at this time too...there was a carnival with rides and some displays but not much to entertain for the whole day.

I wanted to experience the festival at least once so we stopped by for a couple of hours but I would not go back since you can get better lobster/seafood at shacks along the coast. It's like any small town carnival except the focus here was lobster.

Holy cow. So tiny. Definitely not worth the drive from Portland!!! Stop telling people largest in the world. The only way that is true is if there are no others in the world.

Having been to the last three Lobster Fests, including today, I think I can accurately describe it: a basic, if small carnival with lobsters and other Maine food, along with music acts (nothing great, but enjoyable), crafts, art, kids activities, and local flavor. I wouldn't drive more than a couple hours for it - but luckily I don't have to. With that caveat, we always have an enjoyable time. This week I ate my way through a great clam chowder, a blooming onion (well made and crisp), a bucket of steamers, a corn dog, and a steamed lobster with corn. My kid enjoyed the rides, the grown ups ate a lot of food, saw some art, bought some gifts, the day was beautiful, and we listened to some decent bands. If you are in the area, it's certainly worth a day.

omg i would have done it again and again and again. simply amazeballs. it was a pretty low-key festival. definitely a traditional food fest in every sense of those words, having old-school ice cream stands, funnel cakes, carney-fare, you name it. got the double lobster (i'm 4'9) and i should have just gotten the trifecta! size was fine, but really? i so should have gone all out cuz i don't think i'll be eating like that again in a good long while. games for kids, and food food food!! the price was so worth it and the food was on point. i'd love to go again and again and again. oh wait. i already said that =)

Fun for the family. Lots of free samples and some free rides (on Friday). Many other fun free things to do, after the entrance fee of course. The lobster dinner was advertised as $12.50, but it was $15 when I arrived. It was pretty delicious, but came only with corn and roll. extra $150 for a small thing of coleslaw. The lobster roll was not the best, but a good deal ($10). A great play area was a favorite for kids.

First of all, beautiful view of the harbor. The kids create race is something to see...Maine style. The festival itself is just a regular carnival with the exception of some good lobster being served. The lobster roll was good but Maine is full of great places for rolls (check out Tubby's). However, all that being said it was worth the drive as I am visiting from the southern part of the USA and I had to make the extra hour drive out here.

Best lobster ever! If you like your lobster plain, succulent and with butter... You shouldn't miss this event. Great weekend away!