Lobsterfest satisfies taste buds; raises funds for charities

The smell of Maine lobster and melted butter filled the air at Newport Dunes on Saturday afternoon as hundreds of guests swarmed the beach to savor the fresh crustaceans.

Visitors to Newport Beach’s seventh annual Lobsterfest chomped on 1,350 pounds of lobsters flown that day to Los Angeles International Airport from the East Coast. The lobsters were boiled and served with grilled steak, rolls, salads, red potatoes, corn on the cob and a variety of desserts.

Proceeds from ticket sales will help support Make-A-Wish of Orange County and the Inland Empire, which grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions; Leadership Tomorrow, a nonprofit that provides programs for the public to learn about their community; and New Directions for Women, a drug and alcohol rehabilitation program.

About 600 people attended the event, raising $5,000 for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Fundraising numbers for Leadership Tomorrow were not immediately available, according to a Lobsterfest spokesperson.

— Hannah Fry