Long before the first lobster hit the grill late Sunday afternoon, an army of volunteers had already spent months preparing for one of the North Fork’s signature summer traditions.

By early evening, Veterans Beach in Mattituck was humming. Long lines stretched beneath the tents, butter-soaked lobster dinners disappeared as quickly as volunteers could serve them, children darted between long tables full of food and the Eagle River Band kept the crowd dancing beneath sunny skies along Peconic Bay.

The Southold and Greenport Rotary Clubs welcomed more than 1,100 people to the 35th annual Lobsterfest, turning one of the East End’s largest annual fundraisers into another celebration of community while raising money for scholarships, food banks, literacy programs and dozens of other local initiatives.

For co-chair Roger Satnick, the event’s success begins long before July.

“The process starts in January,” Satnick said. “We meet once a month at first, then more often as we get closer. It almost runs like a restaurant. I take care of the front end, [Greenport Rotarian] Rich [Israel] takes care of the back of the house, and we meet in the middle.”

Planning eventually gives way to several days of nonstop work. Equipment stored for the past year is unloaded, washed and sanitized to meet food safety standards. Hundreds of lobsters show up, courtesy of the Southold Fish Market, and hundreds of steaks from Hellenic Snack Bar are hand-cut and packaged at the Southold American Legion before dozens of Rotary members and volunteers descend on Veterans Beach early Saturday morning to transform the park into a massive outdoor dining venue.

The event began 35 years ago at Founders Landing in Southold but eventually outgrew the waterfront park. Three years ago, it moved to Veterans Beach, where the larger setting overlooking Peconic Bay has given organizers room to expand while providing one of the most picturesque backdrops on the North Fork.

“You can’t ask for a more beautiful view of the bay,” Satnick said.

The operation itself resembles a small city. Volunteers man the grills, pour drinks, collect tickets, sell raffle tickets and rotary gear and keep hundreds and hundreds of meals moving through the serving line.

“All the money that we collect always goes back into these programs for our community,” Satnick said.

Proceeds help fund nearly 30 programs operated by the two Rotary clubs, including scholarships, food bank support, literacy initiatives, youth programs and other community service projects throughout the year.

“Every single Rotarian from every club, plus their family members, plus their friends, come out to help,” Satnick said.

The festival also relies on more than two dozen local sponsors. Satnick singled out Stony Brook Eastern Long Island Hospital as the premier sponsor while praising dozens of businesses that contribute at every level.

“It’s not about the money,” Satnick said. “It’s about the point that they want to give something back to the community.”

The Eagle River Band — a Long Island Eagles tribute band featuring Mattituck Park District commissioner Kevin Byrne — kept the crowd dancing on the bayfront well into the afternoon.

Good weather can make or break an outdoor fundraiser of this size, and Satnick admitted he’s usually watching the forecast well in advance. A powerful storm damaged equipment during one of Lobsterfest’s early years at Veterans Beach, and during the pandemic the event shifted to an all-takeout format at Greenport High School rather than cancel altogether.

This year, however, the forecast held.

“I really want people to come out,” Satnick said as long lines formed outside the serving tents. “Where else do you see people stand for a half an hour in a line? And they’re happy to because they know it’s for a good cause.”