Tickets now on sale for Lobster Festival 06

- May 19, 2006

Lobster Festival 06 will be held rain or shine on Saturday, June 10.

Albany, NY – Tickets are now on sale for the sixth annual Washington Park Lobster Festival, sponsored by the Rotary Club of Albany and the City of Albany. The event will be held rain or shine on Saturday, June 10, from noon to 8 p.m. on the Parade Grounds of Washington Park in downtown Albany.

The event is free and open to the public. Profits from the Lobster Festival will benefit Literacy Volunteers—Mohawk/Hudson, Albany Booster Club and Albany Rotary Foundation.

Advance sale tickets for a complete twin lobster dinner ($30); steak dinner ($25); lobster/steak combo dinner ($35); twin lobster/microbrewery combo ($45); and the Microbrewery Festival & Contest ($20) can be purchased online at www.albanyrotary.org until Friday, June 9 at 8 p.m. They can also be purchased at Price Chopper Customer Service Desks at Westgate, Slingerlands, Latham and Niskayuna stores and Capital Region SEFCU branches until Thursday, June 8 at 6 p.m. The day of the event, each ticket increases by $5. Dinners (for eat-in or take-out) are served from 2 pm to 7 pm. The Microbrewery Festival is open from 2 pm till 6 pm, with judging results and presentations at 5:30 pm.

Entertainment includes performances by Hair of the Dog, Alan Payette Band and Radio Disney’s Move It! Show. Children’s activities include pony and carriage rides, Merdwin the Magician, Sparkles the Stilt walking Clown, a rock climbing wall, carnival games and rides all afternoon. There will be food and craft vendors onsite all day. At 2:30 p.m., Mayor Jennings will crown the 2005 Father of the Year.

The second annual Microbrewery Festival & Contest will feature tasting from at least ten New York State microbreweries including: Brown’s Brewing Company, C.H. Evans Brewing Company, Davidson Bros. Restaurant and Brewery, Great Adirondack Brewing Company, Hyde Park Brewing Company, Keegan’s Ales, Lake Placid Pub & Brewery, Olde Saratoga Brewing Company, Malt River Brewing Company and Van Dyck Restaurant and Brewery (subject to change). Tickets are $20 each advance sale and $25 day of event. (must be 21 years old with proof of age) and only one ticket will be sold per person. Ticket entitles holder to a souvenir beer tasting cup and three different samplings (light, dark and specialty beer) from each microbrewery.

Limited dinner tickets and microbrewery tickets (add $5 per ticket) are available the day of the event at the Lobster Festival Information Booth (cash, checks with I.D., Visa and MasterCard) and microbrewery tickets may also be purchased at the microbrewery tent (cash and checks with I.D. only.)

Corporate and media sponsors include the City of Albany, CDPHP, NYSUT, APSTA, Time Warner Cable and Capital News 9, B95.5 FM, Times Union, Stewart’s Shops, Panera Bread, Amtrak, Communication Services, SEFCU, Price Chopper, NBT Bank, Southwest Airlines, Microknowledge, Marquis Catering, and Marden Consulting,

For more information, visit www.albanyrotary.org or call 518-867-4100.