Lobster/Shrimp Fest planned
By Becky Barclay
Published in News on April 15, 2017 11:35 PM
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Partnership employee Thomas Nevins gets a little help erecting a sign in preparation for the Partnership for Children's annual Lobster Fest from Larry the Lobster.
Wayne County, get your mouths ready for some authentic Maine lobster and shrimp because the 13th annual Lobster/Shrimp Fest is coming.
The fundraiser for the Partnership for Children of Wayne County will be held May 5.
Tickets are $25 and are on sale now. They may be purchased from the Partnership or from any Partnership director or staff member. Phone orders with a credit card will also be taken at 919-735-3371.
In addition, for an extra $5, you can get a side of corn on the cob and baked potato.
The deadline for purchasing tickets for the lobsters is April 28 and May 3 for an order of shrimp.
"We sell lobsters either cooked or alive and shrimp either cooked or frozen," said Charlie Ivey, executive director for the Partnership. "We cook them right here on site."
Ivey said volunteers cook both the lobsters and shrimp in bay boil seasoning.
"We order the lobsters directly from Maine," Ivey said. "That's the most famous place for the lobsters. For several years, we have worked directly with a seafood distributor from up there. They are pulled from the water the Wednesday before the event and flown directly to us and we pick them up from RDU the Thursday before the event."
This is the second year the Partnership has held the event at lunchtime. Since it is at lunchtime, Ivey said if an office or residence has five or more orders, they can be delivered anywhere in Goldsboro. You will need to request delivery when you purchase your tickets.
"We also encourage lobster/shrimp parties," Ivey said. "I have one personally. Patrons purchase lobsters and make a big party out of it. We had one party last year who bought 10 live lobsters and took them to the beach to cook."
Orders may be picked up May 5 in the Partnership parking lot.
"We ask what time people want to pick their orders up when they purchase their tickets so we will have them ready," Ivey said. "We drop the lobsters right before they get here so they're piping hot when they receive them."
He said that the Partnership has made close to $10,000 in past years off the lobster/shrimp sale. It hopes to make between $10,000 and $12,000 this year. He said about 300 lobsters and 300 orders of shrimp are sold each year, and shrimp orders are on the rise.
"The event has become synonymous with the Partnership," Ivey said. "We have people at Christmas time asking when we'll get the lobsters. It has grown every year. We're creating a name for ourselves anyway."
Proceeds from the event are used for Partnership projects, like the annual Teddy bear picnic and Born Learning Festival.
It also provides scholarships for child care providers working on degrees at Wayne Community College and the University of Mount Olive. It also goes for various other projects like the lending library and technical assistance.