Yes, there is lobster. So much lobster. Buckets and barrels full of lobster. Yes.
Yes, the Port of Los Angeles Lobster Festival is indeed about the famous crustacean. The San Pedro party is, after all, "the world's largest lobster festival," according to its billing. Sorry, other large lobster festivals everywhere, but you know LA just does everything bigger, yes? Okay. No hard feelings.
And while lobsteriana is at the center of the celebration -- the 2011 dates are Friday, Sept. 16 through Sunday, Sept. 18, if you're already eagerly tying your bib on -- we rather like the tomfoolery that happens beyond the butter dips and cracking devices.
What do we mean by tomfoolery? Pirates mucking about while starting sentences that begin with "ye" and "herewith." Bands, and a lot of 'em, maybe a good dozen and a half, over the three-day run. And those goofy lobster hats that seem to show up in every photo of the fest? They're for sale. Just a tip: Do not wipe the butter on your fingers on the fabric claws of your hat if no napkin is at hand. It's not polite.
Oh, what the heck. Do it. You're dining with pirates, after all. A little less decorum is a-ok.
It's ten bucks to get in -- little lobster lovers under 12 will be admitted gratis -- and nineteen bucks for a lobster meal. The hats are extra. Acting like a crazy-clawed crustacean while wearing one will cost you nothing, however, so we say live it up.
