It's never too early to start planning for the future. And, one of Maine's most iconic events just reminded us of that.

Hey, look at that. We are already less than a year away from the 76th Annual Maine Lobster Festival. It's literally just right around the corner.

The five-day event is held annually in the Midcoast town of Rockland, and attracts visitors from around the globe.

According to the festival, the volunteer-led event was originally put on as a way to revive the Midcoast region of the state (hard to even fathom it was ever a problem). The festival's website cites that over $500,000 has been raised for surrounding communities. This money is used for local services, sports teams, food pantries, scholarships, and more.

This is an outstanding service provided by the festival and its planners, and doesn't necessarily get the attention as much as, well, the fresh lobster and seafood. They don't call it the Lobster Festival for nothing, folks.

The Maine Lobster Festival features all kinds of exciting events, including a parade, concerts, arts and crafts, beer garden, exhibits, races, boat tours, demonstrations, fireworks, and yes, a lot of seafood and other fare. This is just a small sampling. You can take a look at the 2022 schedule to get an idea of how serious this festival really is.

The festival is back to falling on the first week of August. 2023 will be the second edition back, following the Covid-19 pandemic. More details of the 2023 edition will continue to be added to the festival's website and social media.

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