According to Donna Hatt, one of the festival founders, the Nova Scotia Lobster Crawl started as an idea in 2017 when members of the tourism industry along the South Shore got together to talk about what could be done in the winter months to increase tourism opportunities.
“I was working at White Point Beach Resort at the time. Open year round and needing to find a way to help showcase and demonstrate that there were numerous attractions, experiences, restaurants and other accommodations available in the winter months. Appreciating that visitors travelled from near and far in the summer months to Nova Scotia in search of lobster, we always fell a little bit short here on the South Shore because it wasn’t in season at that time of year.”
Building on what was true for our area, Donna says that as the home of the Lobster Capital of Canada (Barrington) and the longest lobster season in Canada, our lobster season aligned perfectly with the group’s timeframe.
“We had businesses that were open. We had a lobster season at its prime. We have active fishing communities and families to be celebrated as a part of our rich heritage and culture. And it all happened during a timeframe when the tourism industry had availability, and in need of a business opportunity.”
The first lobster crawl summit was held in the fall of 2017 at Oak Island Resort and Donna says it was received incredibly well. “We began planning immediately to host our first lobster crawl in February 2018.” February was the perfect month, she explains. “The colour of this month is red — the colour of cooked lobster. It’s also the colour of love for valentines, and just as importantly, the colour of Rosie cheeks after enjoying a day of fun and activities outside, embracing the winters here on the South Shore.” Nova Scotia is known internationally for having the best lobster in the world. The season starts the last Monday of November and continues until the last day of May. It’s one of the most dangerous and dynamic industries so it was appropriate to celebrate all of that.
“Shaped by the sea, tiny fishing villages and communities have sought out a hard-earned living
for their families that has also informed many aspects of our cultural identity. It’s reflected in our food, our songs, the paintings, sculptures, and artwork that celebrate our special place at the edge of the sea.”
Lobster and the industry that it has grown into has also shaped the lives of families who have had a career of going out on the ocean and those who have been impacted by the loss of loved ones at sea. Lobster is an economic driver for our communities and Donna says, “lobster crawl gave us the opportunity to tell the story about where lobster actually comes from. It’s not from a can or from the tank at the grocery store. It comes from our fishing communities who have earned it and harvested from the ocean.”
The festival has become everything they thought it could be, she says.
“When we gave birth to the lobster crawl, our goal was to help raise awareness about experiences that were unique to us here on the South Shore that were deeply connected to the lobster fishing industry, but also celebrated embracing winter. It has enabled us to do that. Just as importantly it has created increased demand for winter related experiences within businesses creating increased hours for their employees, demand for products and services associated with providing the tourism experience, and just as importantly, creating a sense of pride and excitement amongst our local communities to embrace winter in February.”
Roll Off 2026, one or the marque events of the Lobster Crawl.
By showcasing what a region has to offer in February within travel stories, media showcases with photos, live feeds with Lucy the Lobster crawling into the ocean on Groundhog Day and being relied on for her prognostication, has enabled the festival to take centerstage and change attitudes and perceptions about winter on the south shore, but also within Nova Scotia.
“Have we achieved everything we imagined in our first nine years? No, but we are definitely on our way. Not only are locals discovering new-to-them businesses and experiences so too are visitors, not just from Nova Scotia, but much further away. When we began in 2018, we were just breaking the ice, cracking the shell of a new industry, creating a demand and an appetite for one of Nova Scotia’s most beloved exports.” As the Lobster Crawl grows, Donna says one of her greatest aspirations for the festival is that they begin introducing home cook components to the events, in which they can celebrate and showcase local recipes.
“That will be an exciting way to engage even more of the community in a meaningful manner. There’s also a whole line of hiking and beach related events that have yet to be created and offered as well.” From dining to hiking to surfing and fishing, artists and makers, music and theatre there really is so much more yet to be created and presented from Barrington the Lobster Capital of Canada to Peggy’s Cove and all our ports in between.
