Rock lobster in Maine

A festival of seafood delights await those who fly to America's north Atlantic state of Maine this August.

From August 2nd – 6th the town of Rockland in Maine will host the 59th annual Maine Lobster Festival, which heralds five days of fishy-themed festivities for locals and visitors to enjoy.

King Neptune will begin the community festivities with his arrival from the deep on Wednesday August 2nd and lead the celebration of local crustaceans, the highlight of which is the annual carnival parade.

Activities throughout the festival include seafood cooking contests, art and crafts, a ten kilometre race and a lobster eating competition for kids, as well as the crowning of the 2006 Maine Sea Goddess and plenty of music, games and family themed entertainment.

Visitors to Rockland can also enjoy numerous lobster-tasting activities, with around 12 tonnes of fresh lobster being prepared each year in a steamer on the shore, beginning with an American lobster pancake breakfast available from 07:00 local time each day and carrying on throughout the week with lobster dinners and various shell fish dishes available in the Festival Eating Tent.

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