So NOW what’s up with Lobster Fest?
We wanted to have Lobster Fest this year. We REALLY did. We wanted to kick COVID 19 in the teeth and bring Lobster Fest back for 2021. But how? How could we return to the huge community gathering and still keep everyone safe? How could we invite everyone in the church to volunteer in a shared project and still keep everyone safe?
We brainstormed…
• We could eliminate eat-in meals this year. There’s not enough room in the Parish Hall to keep a large number of groups safely distanced while they eat…
• We could eliminate lobster rolls this year. The new kitchen isn’t ready for us, yet, and there’s no sufficiently sanitary areas elsewhere on campus to do the huge production of cooking and assembly…
• We could ask that all volunteers be vaccinated and wear a mask while volunteering before, during, and after the event this year. That would greatly reduce the risk of inadvertently spreading the virus from asymptomatic people…
• We could offer drive-through service of live and cooked lobsters, only, this year. No check-in lines would eliminate the need for close personal contact between customers and other customers, between volunteers and customers, and…
• And…
And at about this point we all thought, “Wait a second… No personal contact? No gathering in the Parish Hall? No music? No decorations? No interaction with the community except through car windows? Masks on all day? No opportunities to smile and speak to a friend you haven’t seen in months? Is this REALLY Lobster Fest?”
No… it really wouldn’t be. So, we made the hard decision. We think it was the right decision, but it was a very hard decision for us nonetheless. There will be no St. Paul’s Lobster Fest in 2021.
However… We may be down, but we’re not out. The entire Lobster Fest Steering Committee is dedicated to bringing back the Fest in 2022. We’re also committed to bringing back the ‘Lobster Fest’ sense of camaraderie and community to St. Paul’s in other ways – at least until we can resume the 14th Annual St. Paul’s Lobster Fest, in all its glory.
October 1st, 2022. Mark it on your calendars. Save the date. Keep the faith.
–Tad