The East Bay Annual Lobster Festival

East Bay Lobster Festival

Every year, during the last full week of August, East Bay ramps up for its biggest event of the year. The Lobster Festival has been running for over two decades, organized annually by the Lobster Festival Committee. Mrs. Branderson has been at the helm for twenty-two years and shows no signs of stepping aside.

Food Options

Main Street becomes the food truck corridor. Elephant ears, gyros, hotdogs, lemonade, the usual. Priced for people who drove to get here. Locals tend to eat before they go, or stop at Mel’s on the way.

Harborside Grille, built on its own pier at the south end of the harbor, is the dining destination of the week. Plates run $20 to $50. Reservations fill up before the festival starts. If you don’t have one, the food trucks on Maple Street are right there.

The Harbor

The water is the center of it. Paddle boat races run throughout the week in age-group heats, with locals competing in their own division so the tourists have a fair chance. Winners in the adult heats take home dinner for two at Harborside Grille. Kids’ heats have their own prizes. Past winners have gone home with gaming consoles, bikes, and electric scooters. The Committee does not pre-announce what the prize will be, which is half the draw.

Kite fliers work the harbor wind from the green above the boat launch. Hot air balloons go up in the mornings when the conditions allow, usually early, usually spectacular. If you want to see them, get up.

The Street Fair

Pier Street and the surrounding blocks become a judged street fair for the week. Vendors, crafters, and local makers set up and compete. There are no cooking competitions. What there are, are raffles: quilts, cash, handmade goods, and a rotation of items that changes every year. You can enter as many as you like.

The Carnival

The carnival sets up on the East Bay High School lot and athletic fields for the week, running along Maple Street. It fits, technically. Everyone agrees it is a little packed. Nobody complains.

Fireworks

Saturday night. Over the water. That’s all that needs to be said.

About the Committee

The Annual Lobster Festival is organized entirely by volunteers under the direction of the Lobster Festival Committee. Inquiries can be directed to Town Hall on radio channels 1 or 2.

– Photos of the 2025 Lobster Festival by Gregory Johnson, East Bay High School science teacher.