FOR THE LOVE OF LOBSTER 2020
This Event Round-Up comes courtesy of TourismChester.ca
When we got together with the great team at Oak Island Resort & Conference Centre in January of 2019 our mission was simply to ensure we’d have something on the go during the South Shore Tourism Cooperative’s (SSTC) Lobster Crawl festival last February, so we created an event with the goal of celebrating ALL that the Municipality of Chester has to offer. Back then we had a mere month to make it happen and we did just that…with pretty good results.
Now as luck would have it, our planned expansion coincided with the SSTC’s plans to expand and re-brand in 2020. Now known as the Nova Scotia Lobster Crawl and running the full month of February, the festival includes over 150 experiences and packages all the way down the South Shore – from picturesque Peggy’s Cove to the Lobster Capital of Canada – Barrington, Nova Scotia.
There was another coincidence, however, we hadn’t anticipated. That was finding ourselves without a venue, as February would see Oak Island Resort being closed and in the midst of a wonderful renovation project (and YES re-opening again this spring – stay tuned!) Fortunately we found the perfect replacement for all the festivities as Forest Heights Community School in Chester Basin became the place to be Sunday, February 9th complete with oodles of lobster-infused fun.
This year’s Vendors’ Market doubled in size which meant more gifted artisans, makers and creators could show off their amazing work. The number of community groups and charitable organizations tripled which meant more awareness and support could be raised for their efforts. Our fun for the little crowd really grew too and included En Pointe’s After School Program Make & Take craft room and face-painting, plus hands-on old-timey toy making with Ross Farm Museum and an all-new LOBSTER POUND PLAYGROUND hosted by the crew from Charles E. Church Park.
There was even the added bonus of En Pointe’s Competitive Dance Teams performing for folks to enjoy.
Our 2020 competitors included Chester’s Cafe, the Chester Golf Club Restaurant, The Deck Restaurant & Convenience Store, The Fo’c’sle Tavern, The Gold Bean Café, Island View Family Restaurant & Bakery, Oak Island Resort Restaurant and The Savary Plate (formally 4-way Stop Pizzeria). Taste-testing passports sold for just $11 – allowing guests to sample all 8 competing chowders, vote on their favourite and enter for a chance to win $200 worth of Lobster.
AND cheers to our LOB-STARS of the day… coming in 3rd The Deck in Blandford, 2nd place went to the Chester Golf Club Restaurant and taking 1st place in the People’s Choice poll of the best Lobster Chowder – The Gold Bean Café in Gold River who now have the GOLDEN LADLE TROPHY proudly on display in their cafe. Be sure to pop in and taste for yourself!
On behalf of Tourism Chester and our co-presenting partner Oak Island Resort & Conference Centre – THANK YOU!
We’re grateful to EVERYONE who came together to make this event so special.
With special shout outs to Foodland Chester for the profuse amount of FREE popcorn they provided and to Peter Richardson of Peggy’s Cove Boat Tours who was kind enough to give our marvellous mascot LOVEY the Lobster the day off so he could join in the celebration.
And finally a HUGE THANKS to the BIG crowd that came to take it all in as well – oh yes our attendance more than doubled in 2020 too!
Indeed our hearts are happy, our belly’s are full and we’re counting down the days til the bigger and better still – FOR THE LOVE OF LOBSTER 2021!
