WESTPORT — A huge “shell game” is about to be perpetrated in Westport.

But it’s not a cunning gambit to bilk the local citizenry.

Instead, it’s a carefully planned endeavor to feed the locals a hearty helping of fresh crustaceans (and other treats) while celebrating the return of a Westport late-summertime tradition.

It’s “LobsterFest,” the Westport Rotary Club’s largest annual fundraiser, returning this Saturday, from 3 to 7 p.m., at Compo Beach.

After taking a “virtual” pause last year because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the event is back at its usual shore-front setting. The event will go forward, rain or shine.

Organizers have been hard at work since announcing LobsterFest would return to Compo this year, selling out the full complement of 1,500 tickets.

But with the event just days away, the pace of preparations is picking up, according to club officials.

Rotary members and other volunteers on Tuesday assembled more than 1,500 plastic dining utensils, napkins and hand wipes for the expected crowd.

In keeping with continuing concerns about the pandemic, organizers will allot 30 percent more dining tables and chairs to allow for better social distancing than in previous years.

Additional health and safety protocols include: food and beverage handlers all will wear masks and gloves; attendees will be encouraged to wear masks while waiting in food and beverage lines and in high-traffic areas; six hand-washing stations will be available, as well as 1,500 bottles of hand sanitizer.

And take-out meals can be arranged through a drive-through option.

The LobsterFest is the Westport Rotary’s major fundraiser, and helps support the club’s annual charitable giving, including 36 grants to local nonprofits and support for humanitarian projects around the world.