Hundreds are ready for the Maine event at Newport’s Lobsterfest
Some 1,500 pounds of Maine lobsters will take flight this weekend from the East Coast to feed hungry patrons with a craving for crustaceans in Newport Beach.
The lobsters will be thrown into a large metal pot, boiled, shelled, slathered in butter and savored by guests on Sunday for the eighth annual Lobsterfest hosted by the Newport Dunes Waterfront Resort & Marina. The event raises funds for Make-A-Wish Orange County and Inland Empire and Leadership Tomorrow.
Tim Brown, the event chairman, has already placed a phone order for Sunday’s spread of lobsters — each weighing 1.25 to 1.5 pounds — but ticket sales are still climbing. So far, 500 tickets have been sold, and Brown anticipates selling several hundred more before Sunday’s event.
As he does every year, he’s crossing his fingers that everything goes according to plan.
“It’s all about timing,” he said. “The lobster has to be here at a certain time. The meat has to get here at the same time. I’m not driving those trucks, so a lot of it is out of my control.”
There’s also a lot of guesswork involved when it comes to figuring out how many lobsters to order, he said. He’s guessed correctly in six of the past seven years. He even guessed right last year, when one guest put away 15 lobsters during the five-hour event.
“That’s an extreme case,” Brown joked. “But the worst thing is to run out of lobster.”
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What: Lobsterfest
Where: Newport Dunes Waterfront Resort, 1131 Back Bay Drive, Newport Beach
When: 3 to 8 p.m. Sunday
Cost: $60 per person in advance and $80 at the door. VIP tickets, which include all-you-can-eat lobster, complimentary wine, valet parking and reserved seating, are $150 in advance. Tickets can be purchased at lobsterfestatnewportbeach.com
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Hannah Fry, hannah.fry@latimes.com
Twitter: @HannahFryTCN
