PORTLAND, MAINE: Maine’s magazine of record, Down East magazine, will select the “World’s Best Lobster Roll” at the inaugural Down East Lobster Roll Festival, scheduled to take place on Saturday, July 8 at Thompson’s Point in Portland, Maine.
Lobster roll restaurants and vendors from across the U.S. are invited to enter the competition, which is sponsored by Allagash Brewing Company, by first completing an online submission by May 1. Entries will be narrowed down to a dozen semi-finalists based on multiple factors, including an entrant’s story, the quality of their recipe, and the success of their lobster roll to date. The semi-finalists will be asked to bring samples to the festival, where 100 VIP guests will vote on the top three contestants. Three judges will then choose the ultimate winner. The winner of the competition will enjoy the title of “World’s Best Lobster Roll,” a trophy, and a one-page congratulatory ad in the following issue of Down East magazine.
The competition, the first-ever large-scale contest in Maine showcasing the state’s iconic snack, will be the anchor event to a larger family-friendly afternoon of activity that will include everything from live music to an interactive kid’s area to Maine-made vendors and refreshments. A project of the state’s legacy publication, Down East magazine, the goal of the event is to illuminate the spirit and culture of Maine by offering an afternoon of some good old-fashioned summer fun. “It’s an absolute honor to launch this competition on Maine soil,” says Kathleen Fleury, the magazine’s editor-in-chief. “We all know Maine has the best lobster rolls in the world, and this festival is a chance for us to prove it while enticing people from near and far to come to Portland to experience the bounty of the Maine coast.” More information about the festival, including a full list of sponsors, and a link to both the festival’s ticket sales and lobster roll competition guidelines, can be found at https://downeast.com/lobsterroll/.
Contact: Kathleen Fleury
Editor-in-Chief, Down East magazine
207-594-9544