The Lobster Bar is gearing up for its second annual Lobster Plunge on New Year’s Day, combining icy dips, cannonball contests, and community spirit to raise funds for local youth programs.
Scheduled for Jan. 1, 2025, from noon to 5 p.m., the event aims to support the Bonrock Foundation, a charity focused on providing scholarships, sporting equipment, and school supplies to young people in the area.
Patrick Kilroy, owner of The Landing and The Lobster Bar, explains the foundation’s mission: “We really want to get the younger generation try to help everyone out and just, you know, kind of be the spark of the sparkle that Bonnie was.”
The foundation honors Bonnie Kilroy, Patrick’s mother, who passed away in 2023 after a long career in Newport’s restaurant industry. She purchased The Landing in 1979 and later acquired The Lobster Bar in 2012.
Organizers hope to net between $5,000 and $10,000 this year for the foundation.
Kyle Kilroy, general manager of the Lobster Bar, emphasizes the event’s community focus: “The big goal with the event is to kind of bring everybody together and have that sense of community. It’s a fun atmosphere. It’s going to a good cause and just getting people together, having fun and hopefully raising some money.”
The Lobster Plunge offers a unique twist on traditional polar plunges. Participants jump from a dock into the harbor, fully submerging themselves in the chilly water.
“You’re committed,” Patrick Kilroy notes. “Because even when you jump off the docks, there’s about two and a half feet off the water. So it’s go or no go.”
Plunges begin at noon and continue every 15 minutes until 3 p.m. Safety divers will be present throughout the event.
At 3 p.m., the focus shifts to a cannonball contest off the Lobster Bar’s back deck, offering spectators a show even if they don’t want to take the plunge themselves.
“We take out one of those panels of glass on the lobster bar. And I’m going to build it up this year so people get a better view of it,” Patrick Kilroy says.
The event will be live-streamed on the foundation’s website and inside the restaurant, allowing attendees to stay warm while enjoying the spectacle.
Last year’s event drew between 50 and 75 participants, with ages ranging from 7 to over 60. Organizers expect a similar turnout this year.
Frank Silvia, general manager of The Landing, recalls last year’s success: “Not for nothing, I spent 30 years on that property and never did I have so much fun on that property. Or the same thing with our guests. I think that might have been the funnest day on Landing property that I can remember.”
The event is open to all ages, with families encouraged to attend. Live music by Justin Pomfret will entertain guests from noon to 3 p.m.
Registration is available online at bonrockfoundation.org or on-site the day of the event. Admission for the Lobster Plunge is $40, while the cannonball contest entry fee is $50. Both include a signature event towel.
Sponsorship opportunities for local businesses are still available, starting at $500. Those who prefer not to take the plunge can still participate by sponsoring a swimmer or making a donation.
The event will proceed rain or shine, though extreme weather conditions may lead to cancellation of water activities. In such cases, the bar will remain open for attendees.
Following the Lobster Plunge, both The Landing and Lobster Bar will close for the winter season, reopening in mid-March for St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. Regular operations are expected to resume in early April, weather permitting.
