ROCKLAND – It’s that time of year as the 72nd Maine Lobster Festival opened its gates to the general public at 12:15 p.m. Wednesday, July 31. It is pageantry, entertainment, food, and fun for the next four days, and this year some 1,300 volunteers from local to afar donated their time to make the festival a success.

From the board of directors who begin planning the next festival as soon as this one ends, to the people who cook lobsters and serve food to taking tickets at the gate, everyone has a job. And yes, there is a lot of cleaning up to do, too.

Volunteers have been hard at work for three weeks prior to the festival’s opening. And as we approached opening time today the final touches were put on everything.

We captured just a few of the many volunteers who helped make this year's festival successful.

Local individuals and even whole families travel to be part of this Midcoast tradition.

Perhaps you’ve thought you might like to volunteer. Follow the link: mainelobsterfestival.com/volunteer/