Maine Lobster Festival

The Maine Lobster Festival is a five-day festival in Rockland, a harbour town on Penobscot Bay, on the coast of Maine. In its organisers’ words, its focus is “fresh hot Maine lobster”. It takes place every year during the first weekend of August, from Wednesday through Sunday, at Harbor Park on Main Street.

The 2027 festival is set for Wednesday 4 to Sunday 8 August 2027 and will celebrate its 80th anniversary. The 2026 edition, the 79th, ran from 29 July to 2 August 2026. The festival is a non-profit, run entirely by unpaid volunteers.

What to eat

• Lobster, hot and fresh. The festival is built around Maine lobster, the American lobster caught in traps along this coast. Eating a whole one takes some work: crack the claws and tail, and keep napkins close.
• The lobster roll. Lobster meat in a toasted, buttered bun is the standard Maine way to eat lobster without the shell, sold at shacks all along the coast.

Practical tips

• Admission. Admission to the 79th festival in 2026 was free. This guide has no statement yet for 2027: check the official site before you go. Food is paid for.
• Finding the site. Harbor Park is on Main Street, on the waterfront, and easy to find from anywhere in town.
• Choose your days. Five days, Wednesday to Sunday, leave room to come midweek if your trip allows.
• Getting there. US Route 1 follows the coast through Rockland. Knox County Regional Airport is close by. Portland has the state’s largest airport.
• Where to stay. Look in Rockland, Camden and Thomaston. Rooms on this stretch of coast go early in August: book once your dates are set.