When you’re bouncing between your favorite band and carnival game at a festival, you feel unstoppable. We love summer fests for all their live music, parades and outdoor drinking, so when we come across one that weaves food in with the fun, we get downright giddy. Whether seeking lobster, salmon, crab or a combination of them all, these summer seafood fests are sure to knock your socks off.
1. Maryland Crab + Beer Festival, National Harbor, MD: Bless the soul who thought to combine beer and crab in the same summer festival. Get your fill of both at this one-of-a-kind event on August 16, where you’ll find crab, beer, live music and free watermelon. (Image via Eye on Annapolis)
2. Maine Lobster Festival, Rockland, ME: Happening July 30-August 3, this event truly embodies all things lobster. From amateur chefs competing in a cook-off to grown men parading down the street dressed as lobsters, you’re sure to get your fill. (Image via Bon Appetit)
3. Milford Oyster Festival, Milford, CT: For more than 30 years, oyster fans have been flocking to Milford to hear live music, take a turn on a carnival ride and crack into their favorite seafood. The August festival goes through 20,000 oysters and clams each year from big-time fisherman and artisan growers. (Image via The Huffington Post)
4. Salmonfest, Seattle, WA: All the summer festival staples like parades, live music and car shows get kicked up a notch here with fresher than fresh seafood at every turn. Enjoy salmon baked, smoked, roasted, fried, grilled and every way in between. (Image via Dulcet Cuisine)
5. Frenchboro Lobster Festival, Frenchboro, ME: When a ferry comes to pick you up and take you to a tiny fishing island, you know you’ve picked a seafood fest worth your time. Wash all the buttery lobster down with a slice of homemade pie and you’ll be in seafood heaven. (Image via Umami Girl)
6. New Orleans Oyster Festival, New Orleans, LA: Bookmark this for next year! Festival-goers slurp down endless oysters, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Two dozen restaurants present their favorite foods at this festival. Come hungry and find savory seafood stuffed into pies, ravioli, po’ boys and more. (Image via Bon Appétit)
7. Max’s Connecticut Lobster Festival, Simsbury, CT: If sitting at a Connecticut farm indulging in fresh-caught lobster and locally grown corn and potatoes doesn’t sound too Barefoot Contessa to you, you’ll love this. Organized by a restaurant group that leads the way in Northeast seafood, this August event won’t let you down. (Image via Cuckooking)
8. Sneads Ferry Shrimp Festival, Sneads Ferry, NC: Munch on handfuls of shrimp and wash them down with local beer or wine and you’ll be in seafood paradise at this unique shrimp fest. A crowd favorite is the crowning of the Shrimp Queen and King. (Image via PRWeb)
9. Hookers Ball, Chatham, MA: This cleverly named summer seafood festival presents the freshest catches of Cape Cod fisherman to revelers with the most discerning tastes. Gather under a white tent and visit the raw bar as many times as you like… we promise nobody’s counting.
10. National Hard Crab Derby, National Harbor, MD: If you’re looking for good crab, you should probably start in the crab capital of the world, which just happens to have a summer festival celebrating these feisty crustaceans. The main event here is the derby, where hundreds of blue crabs compete in a slippery street race. But real crab lovers mostly enjoy the crab cook-off. (Photo: Crisfield News)
Are you loco for lobster? Tell us about your favorite seafood festivals in the comments below!
