Interview with Tim Frank
American Lobster Fest
30 June 2018
OmahaNebraska.com here at the great American Lobster Fest.
My name is Tim Frank. I am one of the festival organizers.
How did you get started and how hard is it to organize something like this?
Pretty challenging, especially when they change your venue due to the river overflowing at Tom Hanafan Park but it’s been really great.
Everyone at Council Bluffs and Omaha worked together to help us get it shifted over here at Mid-America Center and everyone is really great to work with.
I started in 2014 at Navy Pier in Chicago where we still do it every year on Labor Day weekend and this is our first time expanding here in the Omaha Council Bluffs area and in Detroit later this year.
Do you know what time you will be doing it in Detroit?
Detroit is September 14th, 15th and 16th and in Chicago we are August 30nd, September 1st, September 2nd.;
How did you get fresh lobster here?
We fly it in every day. Our partner and presenting sponsor is Lobster Gram- flies it in every morning to the Omaha Airport and we pick up the live lobster and that is how we get it here and it is as fresh as you can get anywhere because it is still alive.
So where are you storing it? How are you storing it now?
We are keeping it in refrigerated trucks and it comes in every day as fresh as you can get until we cook it.
How much lobster did you anticipate getting?
I think that we got around 2000 lbs. Maybe about 3000 actually.
How many lobsters?
Probably about 2500 to 3500 but I have to ask Chris. Each lobster is about one and a quarter pound.
What is your favorite way to eat lobster?
I like a lobster roll. That’s my favorite.
What other types of things are you doing here at Lobster Fest?
So we’ve got lots of different food and land food, We like to call it land food- the barbecue, burgers and hot dogs to keep the whole family happy.
There’s shaved ice, funnel cakes and live music and art vendors.
Lots of face painters and the Bryan Hill Entertainment Family Fun Zone and he is local to Omaha. So you can have kids on the blow-up inflatables and all that good stuff.
Tell us how to get involved for next year either as sponsors or volunteers.
Reach out at AmericanLobsterFest.com. The best email is info@americanlobsterfest.com.
Thank you very much.
No problem. Thank you.
