Overview The Great American Lobster Fest is a free-to-enter Labor Day weekend festival in the Navy Pier Beer Garden in Chicago, built around whole Maine lobster flown in daily from the East Coast and eaten with views of Lake Michigan and the skyline. Lobster meals are sold ahead online and whole-lobster dinners often sell out; everything else is bought on the day. Live bands and DJs play the main stage in the Beer Garden. Green Curtain Events, the Chicago company behind WingOut, Tacoville, Oktoberfest, St. Paddy's Day and New Year's Eve parties in the city, produces it. On site In 2026 the festival ran 1 to 10 p.m. on the Saturday and 1 to 8 p.m. on the Sunday. The pre-sold Lobster Meal Experience goes up in price as the weekend gets closer. Alongside it the menu runs to lobster rolls, lobster bisque, lobster mac and cheese, loaded lobster fries and grilled lobster tail, plus shrimp, surf and turf, barbecue and desserts. The bar pours domestic beer, seltzers and tropical cocktails, with soda and water. Craft vendors and official festival merchandise fill out the space, and parking on the pier can be reserved in advance. Brand presence Cayman Jack has been the festival's presenting partner. Other partners take activation space among the craft vendors on the pier, and the festival sells an exclusive sponsorship above its activation packages.