Gabriela and Erhan Hayes with Oliver, 7, and Arabela, 8, enjoying the Rotary feast,
Gabriela and Erhan Hayes with Oliver, 7, and Arabela, 8, enjoying the 2024 Rotary LobsterFest – File photo

WESTPORT–Residents who enjoy eating lobsters can find them at Compo Beach on Sept. 19 – not in the water, but on the beach.

The Westport Rotary Club is holding its 15th annual LobsterFest from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. that day and expects to raise about $400,000 for charities in Bridgeport, Norwalk and Westport, according to Alec Foege, the Rotary’s communications chairman.

“It’s become a signature event for the town of Westport,” Foege said Wednesday morning. “It’s kind of a big party everyone is invited to and a great way to celebrate the beginning of fall.”

“Residents and guests really enjoy eating lobster on the beach,” he added.

Tickets for LobsterFest are now on sale here and are expected to sell out quickly, Foege said. He said the number of people who attend LobsterFest is limited by the town, and previous LobsterFests drew 1,500 people and sold out within a few days.

Tickets are priced at $125 for adults and $15 for kids. Tickets will not be available on the day of the event.

No one will need a Compo Beach parking sticker to attend the event, and it’s open to both Westport residents and non-residents, Foege said.

Food available at LobsterFest goes beyond lobsters. Steaks, vegetarian burgers, potato salad, corn, coleslaw and rolls are also on the menu, along with unlimited beer, wine and soft drinks, Foege said.

Westport Rotary is also looking for volunteers on Sept. 18, 19 and 20 to help set up LobsterFest, work during the event, and tear down and clean up afterward.

Set up includes both light work, such as food preparation, and heavy work, such as moving chairs and tables. Strong people at least 18 years old are needed for lobster cracker and cooker assignments.

A couple thousand lobsters were served at Westport Rotary's 11th Lobsterfest at Compo Beach on Saturday. / Photo by Thane Grauel
A couple thousand lobsters were served at Westport Rotary’s 2022 Lobsterfest – File photo

Two shifts are available on the day of the event – from 2:30 to 4:45 p.m. and from 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. The second shift is the busiest.

Volunteers can request what tasks they’d like to do, but their requested assignments won’t be confirmed until they receive an e-mail from the Rotary Club’s Volunteer Committee in the week before the event, according to the press release.

Volunteers who do not purchase a ticket for LobsterFest can have hamburgers, hot dogs and sodas at no charge, according to the press release.