For five days in late July and early August, Rockland leans hard into its claim to be the lobster capital of the world. The Maine Lobster Festival draws tens of thousands of visitors to the harbor for the largest lobster-cooking operation in existence — thousands of pounds of live lobster are steamed daily in the world's largest lobster cooker, a custom-built piece of equipment that has been in continuous use since 1948.
Beyond the lobster, the festival has a carnival, a parade, a Maine Sea Goddess coronation, and the famous 10-kilometre Great Crate Race across the harbor on floating lobster crates. Rockland gets very crowded during festival week; if you are not coming specifically for it, schedule around it. If you are coming for it, book accommodation months in advance.