Setting Day Culinary Festival to launch this spring in Charlottetown
'Celebrate the first lobster catch with some music and a great party’
Josh Ellis says he noticed there wasn't a lot going on in Charlottetown this spring, so he set out to create something which would reflect the Island way of life and get people excited for spring.
Ellis is the executive director of the annual P.E.I. Mutual Festival of Small Halls, but he has now created a separate festival to "celebrate the first lobster catch with some music and a great party."
"It just kind of coincided well with setting day and the first catch, the first lobster coming in, so that is kind of where the idea was born," Ellis said.
Photo contest, chef competition
Setting day is the day hundreds of lobster fishermen around P.E.I. set their traps for the first time. The P.E.I. FIshermen's Association has asked that this year's spring season begin Monday, April 29.
The new festival will run from May 10 to 12 and has incentives to get Islanders involved, including a photo contest with a $300 prize.
"We want everybody to participate in the excitement of the festival and get us their best shots of lobster boats that are going out on setting day," Ellis said.
The festival will kick off with a chef competition.
"We are going to have six Island chefs participating in a tapas-style chef's competition. So, anybody who is attending will be able to get a small appetizer from each chef and vote on their favourite one."
Making waves at the yacht club
The first night is scheduled to feature a ceilidh on the wharf at the Charlottetown Yacht Club
Saturday is the festival's marquee event, the Fresh Lobster Feast.
"This is where we want to feature the first catch, the first lobster catch of the season," Ellis said.
The feast won't just be whole lobster — there will be scallops, oysters and chocolate torte, Ellis said.
Mystery guest
"We are going to pair that meal with a famous Canadian songwriter who is yet to be named," Ellis said.
The new festival with Tourism P.E.I. and aims to draw Islanders as well as those from away.
Though this is only the first year of the festival, Ellis said he hopes to spread the festival Island-wide in the future.
The festival will finish mid-morning Sunday May 12 with a Blessing of The Boats concert.
It has received funding from Tourism P.E.I.
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With files from Angela Walker