The Rockland Maine Lobster Festival

The 2012 Maine Lobster Festival is a best bet if you're interested in an event that combines true New England family fun and delicious seafood.

You just might want to set aside a few days in early August so you can attend this classic Maine event in the Rockland, Maine Harbor Park.

Of course you'll be able to indulge in truly delectable Maine lobster, but the state's most famous culinary delight isn't the only attraction at the annual Maine Lobster Festival.

Not by a long shot. When you attend this festive event, you'll find more than "just" the freshest lobster you'll ever eat.

You'd think the Maine Lobster Fest's nine tents, great entertainment, big street parade, lobster crate race, 10k road race, competitions (including professional and amateur cooking contests) and wide assortment of fun kids' events would provide enough for anyone, but there's even more.

When you mix in the tours you can take of US Navy and Coast Guard vessels and the Coast Guard Station, all-you-can-eat pancake breakfasts (yum!), the Maine Lobster Fest's own Sea Goddess, fine art (including photography along with oil paintings and water colors) and a large group of very talented artisans selling finely crafted local items, you have the ideal recipe for five days of fantastic fun!

There's even a free shuttle service to take you to and from the festival grounds. This is an event you simply won't want to miss.

The 2012 Maine Lobster Festival, to be held August 1-5, will be Rockland's 65th annual celebration of small town fun combined with top entertainment and the best lobster available anywhere.

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There are a lot of reasons why this event draws tens of thousands of people every year.

For example, your entire family will enjoy themselves because the Maine Lobster Festival has a number of fun events and activities designed specifically for kids. In addition to having their own tent, children are able to get involved in fun contests like the Codfish Carry, a costume parade, lobster eating, a 1-mile race and so on.

Adults, on the other hand, can participate in contests like the famous Maine Lobster Festival Seafood Cooking Contest for amateur cooks.

And speaking of lobster, experts prepare more than 20,000 pounds, and every single pound is served piping hot with warmed butter. But before enjoying your Maine lobster feast, you can watch it being prepared on the nearby shores of beautiful Penobscot Bay.

And you're in luck if you prefer other types of seafood, because the fare at the Maine Lobster Festival also includes steamed and fried clams, fried shrimp, mussels steamed in wine and vegetable sauce, and the usual array of delicious festival food.

You can have a blast while working off some calories by entering the Lobster Crate Race held during the Maine Lobster Fest. If you're willing to take an unintentional dip in cool waters of Penobscot Bay while tens of thousands of festival attendees look on, you can take part in this entertaining and extremely popular event.

Fifty partially-submerged lobster crates form the "racetrack," and the winner of the race will be the person who manages to run atop the most lobster crates before falling into in the bay. Every racer ends up wet, and racers and spectators alike have a great time.

And if you want to burn off even more calories, there's always the fun - but competitive - 10k road race.

The Maine Lobster Festival also features a full slate of jazz, rock, reggae and folk music along with other entertainment such as comedy acts.

For a very different form of entertainment, you could watch the selection and coronation of 2012's Maine Sea Goddess. One of the highlights of the Maine Lobster Fest every year, this competition features young women vying for the crown and several prizes, along with the right to represent the festival, the lobster industry and the village of Rockland, Maine throughout New England until next year's Sea Goddess is crowned.

Finally, you won't want to miss the big parade, which features the Sea Goddess, King Neptune, colorful floats, marching bands, drill teams and the other types of parade units you've come to expect from old-fashioned street parades.

With so many things to see and do - and ways to have fun - the 2012 Maine Lobster Fest is a can't-miss event, and cool, comfortable Maine is the perfect place to escape from the heat of the August sun.

Please visit www.mainelobsterfestival.com for all the info you need on tickets, parking and more.

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