Rockland panel, Maine Lobster Festival squabble over park use
The Rockland Harbor Management Commission is challenging how long the popular Maine Lobster Festival will be able to use a trio of parks on the city’s waterfront.
Melissa Maker, chairwoman of the commission, told the Bangor Daily News that the 14 days requested by the Rockland Festival Corporation for the lobster festival seemed excessive and takes the use of the waterfront parks away from city taxpayers.The festival runs Aug. 3-7.
But Brian Plourde, the president of the festival corporation, told the BDN that the two weeks requested — from the Wednesday before the festival to the Tuesday after it ends — is required for the labor-intensive setting up for the festival.
In addition to setting up rows of tents, electricians must also connect the festival and its vendors to power, not to mention the time it takes for the carnival attractions and vendors to actually set up.
Plourde told the BDN that the festival has rented out the parks for two weeks during the past several years. And while he agrees that access to boaters that want to use the public landing is limited during the festival, volunteers provide boaters access to the docks during the setup period in addition to providing an escort so they can get to and from their vessels during the festival.
The management commission and the festival corporation have both agreed to try to reach an agreement, according to the BDN.
The annual Maine Lobster Festival draws 30,000 tourists and locals to the city’s waterfront and contributes approximately $1 million to the regional economy.
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