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Get ready, get set, mark your calendars, because June 2008 in Cape May is a busy one and you don’t want to miss anything! |
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Thirty-seven years ago the city
fathers and the Department of Urban Renewal got together and decided to turn
Washington Street into a pedestrian mall. In November of 2007, city officials
began the renovation of the mall which included replacement of the
infrastructure (sewer and water lines), pavers and the landscaping. Seven months
later, the mall has a brand new look! The city, in conjunction with the
Washington Street Mall Merchants Association, has invited the public to the
“Welcome Home Again” celebrations which will begin with a ribbon cutting at 10
a.m. in the 500 block of the mall near Our Lady Star of the Sea R.C. Church.
Activities will continue throughout the day culminating with a
Harbor
Fest, which runs throughout the day on Saturday, June 21, is a celebration of
seafood and song; the sea, its culture, and its ecology. Activities include a
Summer Solstice Bonfire, story telling, song fest and marshmallow roasting; a
summer night skies with the Willingboro Astronomy Club from the deck of the
Nature Center of Cape May’s Trucksess Center; a street festival with prepared
fresh seafood, live musical entertainment, vendors and related displays, crafts
and art; a blessing of the commercial fleet, a wreath laying at the fisherman’s memorial,
Another key June event is the annual West Cape May Strawberry Festival, Saturday June 7 at the Wilbraham Park, corner of Broadway and Perry. Strawberries abound in both edible and non-edible form. Rain date, June 8. Call 609-884-9325 for information.  As you can imagine, Cape May is
quite the fishing spot and South Jersey Marina is the penultimate host for some
of the most lucrative sport fishing in the U.S. The 28th Annual South
Jersey Shark Tournament takes place Thursday, June 12 through Sunday, June 15.
This is the richest shark tournament in New Jersey. In 2007 the purse totaled
$270,930, not including the $50,000 Monster Shark Bonus. Please call
609-884-2400 or visit www.sjmarina.com for more information.
Friday, June 13 marks the opening
of the
Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts’ (MAC) Fourth Annual Designer Show House.
This year’s redesign is the Otis Townsend residence on 115 Reading Avenue,
currently owned by David and Myra Kurkowski. The 1915 Craftsman style house has been
restored to its original glory and made over by some of the region’s top
designers and suppliers. The 2008 There’s still time to catch the
19th Annual Cape May Music Festival which concludes June 15. Concerts
take place on Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday evenings. Because of the closing of
Convention Hall some venues have changed. All concerts begin at 8 p.m. On Sunday,
June 1 the Montreal/Philly-based
 In the world of art, Sandra Bloodworth’s oil
painting will still be on exhibit at SOMA Gallery in Carpenters
Square mall at Perry Street and Carpenters Lane until June 15. June 20 a new
exhibition opens. Hot Fun – the provocative oil paintings of Sean Taylor
will run through July 27. Meanwhile on Jackson Street at the Mad Batter
Restaurant water color paintings by artist Nancy Trombino will be on display
until July 16 as well as the pastels and water color/pen and ink landscapes of
Glenn and Linda Fellenbaum (running through June 25.) Meanwhile water color
artist Marie Natale’s exhibition Summer Sisters, depicting the nature and
people of the Jersey Shore, with its long tradition of creating “summer
families” runs through June.
 parents get to do what they want to do? Maitland gave up
painting to become a successful businessman, so his wife, Nancy, and his
children would be financially secure. When his son declares he’s going into
business instead of pursuing his passion for architecture, Nancy suggests that
Maitland leave the business world, and paint. They can live off the money they
would have spent on furthering their son's education. Or can then? The
production runs through July 12. Performance Days (except where noted): Wed.,
Thurs., Fri., Sat. at 8:30 p.m. For more information or to reserve tickets call
609-884-5898 or visit www.eastlynnetheater.org.
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Well, as you can see there is plenty more and urge you to go to our events calendar at CapeMay.com for more exciting details of what’s coming up this month and throughout the summer months. And don’t forget, there’s always the beach, the sand and the sunsets to occupy your time. |
Although there are many events throughout the month, Saturday, June 21 as
a “must go to Cape May day.” The city has spent the winter months cleaning up
her petty coats and is ready to show off her trousseau. June 21 is the first
Harbor Fest celebrating the new Harbor Park, on Delaware Avenue (off Pittsburgh
Ave.) and is also the rededication of the
Dancing Under the
Stars at Rotary park on Lyle Lane beginning at 4 p.m. with the Al Raymond
Orchestra and concluding with the rock and roll songs of Bluebone (7-10.) For
additional information about the event call 608-884-0555 or visit
Harbor Safaris, Wharf Tours, a Coast Guard demonstration and kayak
eco-tours. For additional information about Harbor Fest contact the
Designer House is open through Sunday, Oct. 19
from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily and 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Friday. Admission is $20 for
adults and $15 for children (ages 3-12). Dinner and show house tour
combinations will be available at selected restaurants Sunday-Friday. Breakfast
at Aleathea’s at the Inn of Cape May, 7 Ocean St., and show house tour
combinations are available Sundays at 9 a.m.
group Shtreiml will play at Cape May
Elementary School on Lafayette Street. They offer a high-octane mix of
not-so-traditional Eastern-European Jewish and Turkish music. The Bay-Atlantic
Symphony: Heartstrings will play at Congress Hall on Thursday, June 5
and will feature violin soloist, Rachel Lee. The venue for June 8 (the Dixie
Hummingbirds) as well as June 15 (local favorite George Mesterhazy and Friends)
goes off the island to the Paul W. Schmidtchen Theatre at Lower Cape May
Regional High School in Lower Township. Call MAC for details. There will be a
shuttle bus to take you there and back. And it’s back to Congress Hall Thursday,
June 12 for another Bay Symphony offering: For the Birders. For Information or
tickets, call 609-884-5404 or visit
In the world of theater, Cape May
Stage’s production of Fully Committed by Becky Mode runs through June 28.
In the basement of Manhattan’s trendiest and hottest new restaurant, Sam Peliczowski is an out-of-work actor who mans the red-hot reservation line. With
the phones ringing off the hook, Sam juggles a range of eccentrics – from
scheming socialites and name-dropping wannabes to fickle celebrities and
egomaniacal bosses. It’s a frenetic 90-minute circus high-wire act featuring 40
characters and only one actor! Shows run Wednesdays through Sundays at the
Robert Shackleton Playhouse at Bank and Lafayette Streets. Please call
609-884-1341 or visit 
Of course there is always a plethora of tours sponsored by
MAC, the highlight of which this month is World War II Weekend – Friday,
June 6 through Sunday, June 8. Cape May went from resort town to a pivotal part
of America’s homeland defense efforts during the war years. On the weekend of
the anniversary of D-Day, this is your chance to reminisce about the war years
and learn about how World War II affected the town and the residents. The
weekend includes a program of music from the war years, lectures, presentations,
a Naval Air Station Wildwood Tour, a World War II boat cruise, trolley tours,
and a Veterans Memorial Ceremony at Sunset Beach. Ticket prices vary per
activity. For more information or to reserve tickets call 609-884-5404 or visit