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Most shore towns have closed down, but Cape May is unique in the fact that we are just beginning to kick up our holiday heels. B&Bs are putting the logs on the fire, the Christmas lights start going up around the ides of November and a warm, fuzzy glow begins to come over the town. If you don’t believe me, come on down and see for yourself, and you don’t have to wait long.
As for you film buffs or wannabe directors and producers, the Cape May New
Jersey State Film Festival (Nov. 21-23) is a must. Since 2001, this has been a
perfect venue for new filmmakers and a chance to seem some fabulous independent
films. This year the film line-up includes Seasons in the Valley, narrated by
Elliot Gould. This documentary film explores the symbiotic relationships between
apple farmers of NY’s Hudson Valley and their Jamaican labor. BuzzKill stars
Daniel Raymont who plays a struggling Another fun-filled offering is the
Sherlock Homes weekend, Friday, November 7
through Sunday, November 9. Sponsored by the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts
(MAC), join Sherlock Holmes for a weekend of mystery and intrigue. The weekend
includes performances, tour, luncheon and prizes. Cost varies per activity.
Weekend
Combine mystery and food and sign up for Dinner on the Orient Express, Nov. 9 at
7 p.m.
The holiday lights go up in time for the Holiday Preview Weekend (Nov.21-23).
Get a head start on the season and enjoy a variety of special Christmas tours
and events before the crowds arrive. Don’t miss the official Christmas tree
lighting ceremony on Saturday, Nov. 22. Santa arrives at 7 p.m. to flip the
switch and light the hundreds of bulbs on the tree. Come to the grounds of the Physick Estate, 1048 Washington St. Refreshments will be served, and guests may
enjoy a free self-guided tour of th An Old-Fashioned Exhibit will also begin Friday, Nov. 21 and run through Sunday, Jan. 4. An exhibit of holiday traditions through the years complete with vintage Santas, model trains, trees, toys and much more will be on display at the Carriage House Gallery at the Emlen Physick Estate. The Gallery is open daily (except Thanksgiving and Christmas); hours vary. $2 for adults and $1 for children (ages 3-12) or free with any tour of the Emlen Physick Estate. If touring all those Victorian homes makes you hungry, be sure to reserve a
table Friday, Nov. 21 for the Holiday Preview Weekend Wine Tasting Dinner. This
five-course dinner at the Mad Batter Restaurant on historic Jackson Street
features
For the wee ones, pencil in Breakfast with Santa, Saturday, Nov. 22. Enjoy a family-friendly menu at Aleathea’s at the Inn of Cape May as you visit with Santa. Treats for the kids and Christmas lists accepted! Adults $15; children (3-12) $10. 10 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 22. Sponsored by MAC. For more information or to make reservations, call 609-884-5404 or 800-275-4278 or visit www.capemaymac.org. And don’t think it’s all lights and Santa, for the more outdoorsy types, how ‘bout a nice fishing tour? The eighth Annual South Jersey Big Bass Open will be held Thursday, Nov 6 through Friday, November 7. Presented by South Jersey Marina & the American Striper Association. Please call 609-884-2400 or visit www.sjmarina.com for more information. For the first time last year, MAC opened their Cape May Designer House for the
holidays. They will do so again. The 2008 Designer Show House at Christmas Tour
is located at 115 Reading Avenue, on the east end of town, and is the 1915 Otis
Townsend residence. It is Cape May’s fourth annual Designer Show House and is an
outstanding example of Craftsman style architecture. Discover this charming home
with fabulous structural details decked out for the holidays, by some of the
region’s
If you're looking for something to do at night, other than touring, Cape May offers the luxury of two equity theater companies. For a limited engagement (Nov. 5- 22), Cape May Stage presents Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grill by Lanie Robertson. In a seedy bar in South Philadelphia, legendary jazz singer Billie Holiday gives one of her last performances before her death in 1959. While indulging her talent as well as her addictions, she recalls her beginnings scrubbing steps in Baltimore through her rise to fame. Featuring more than a dozen songs that made Lady Day an American icon, including God Bless the Child, Strange Fruit, Where Our Love Has Gone, and Ain't Nobody's Business If I Do. Shows run Wednesdays through Sundays at the Robert Shackleton Playhouse at Bank and Lafayette Streets. Curtain at 8 p.m. This Wonderful Life by Steve Murray, conceived by Mark Setlock, begins its
holiday run Nov. 28 and continues through Dec. 28. After Shows run Wednesdays through Saturdays at 8 p.m., Sundays at 3 p.m. Please call 609-884-1341 or visit www.capemaystage.com for more information. Always offering a unique holiday delight East Lynne Theater Company (ELTC) will present the world premiere of O. Henry's Christmas Stories Friday, November 28 through Saturday, November 29 with an 8:30 p.m. curtain. ELTC’s Artistic Director Gayle Stahlhuth, portrays twenty-plus roles as she spins O. Henry's tales. Please call 609-884-5898 or visit www.eastlynnetheater.org for more information. In between dinner and a show, pop on over to SOMA NewArt Gallery, 31 Perry
Street. SOMA is partnering with the C The Mad Batter Restaurant on Jackson Street always has a showing as well. This month they are featuring the work of the mosaic tile specialists the Huber Sisters.
And there’s so much more – be sure to visit CapeMay.com’s events page for a more complete schedule of activities. Gobble, gobble. Editor’s Note: Blue Pig Tavern at Congress Hall Ebbitt Room at the Virginia Hotel Harbor View Peter Shields Inn & Restaurant Union Park Dining Room |
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The Cape May Jazz Festival (Nov.7-9), for example, is a nice holiday prelude.
This year’s 30th Cape May Jazz Festival is a salute to trumpeter Maynard
Ferguson featuring fellow trumpeter Jon Faddis soloing with Ed Vezinho and Jim
Ward’s 16-piece band. Because of the closing of Convention Hall, this Friday
night concert will be held at the Lower Regional High School’s concert hall.
Pieces of a Dream will play this same venue Saturday evening. They will also
make an appearance at the Sunday Jam (1-4 p.m.) at Carney’s Main Room on Beach
Avenue. Transportation will be provided to venues but check the Jazz Fest’s
website 
writer who has his latest script stolen by
a serial murderer named The Karaoke Killer (played by Saturday Night Live’s
Darrell Hammond). One of the shorts is a local offering. Seize the Wedding Day,
created by Cape May Film Academy, takes place after a “big tent” party at the
Cape May Point home of David and Chris Clemens. Chris invited anybody in
attendance to host an event before the tent was taken down. She didn’t know
there would be a taker – and was there a taker! Come see who it was. One of the
many highlights of the festival is the Opening Night Champagne Reception on
Friday evening where New Jersey film artists are recognized for their work. In
previous years the Governor's award recipients have included Robert Prosky,
Susan Sarandon, Billy Baldwin and Joey Pantoliano. No announcement regarding
this year’s winner had been made at press time.
overnight packages are available. The Search for Clues tour on Saturday,
Nov. 8, can be purchased separately. For more information, call 609-884-5404 or
800-275-4278 or visit 
All aboard! Enjoy a five-course dinner inspired by the menu served to
passengers on this famous locomotive and play along to solve the murder mystery.
Period costume is highly encouraged. Prize for best costume and solving the
mystery. Limited to 60 people. Admission is $60. Contact MAC for reservations
and more information.
e Physick Estate. Includes Holly Trolley
Tours, a Physick Family Christmas, Evening Wassail Tours and more. Sponsored by
MAC.
cuisine and wines from the Atlantic to the Pacific coast. Dinner will
be served at 7:30 p.m. Limited to 60 people, admission is $70. Contact MAC for
reservations and further information.
top designers. The home will be open for self-guided tours Friday
through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Friday, Oct. 31 through Sunday, Dec. 21; Open
daily Friday, Dec. 26 through Sunday, Jan. 4, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Show House
is also featured on the 35th Annual Christmas Candlelight House Tours, Dec. 6
and 27.
a sell-out run in 2006,
This Wonderful Life returns to Cape May Stage to delight audiences once again.
Share the hope and humor of Frank Capra's adored Classic Christmas film It's A
Wonderful Life in this delightful stage adaptation. The plight of George Bailey
is seen in a fresh light as one actor portrays Clarence the Angel, Mary, Old Man
Potter, and twenty more of Bedford Falls' finest citizens. Make this
heartwarming family experience a part of your holiday tradition this season.
ape May County Art League to present an
exhibition of over 25 Cape May County artists, working in oil, watercolor and
acrylic, with styles ranging from realistic to abstract expressionist. Come
support your local artists and enjoy this wonderful exhibit. SOMA NewArt Gallery
will also donate a portion of its proceeds to the Cape May County Art League
Scholarship Fund. The exhibition continues through December 14th. Gallery Hours:
Thursday - Sunday, 10a.m.-5 p.m. or by appointment. For more information call
609-898-7488 or visit 
If you’re all about the food – the Chocolate Buffet will be held at 2 p.m.
Saturday, November 22 at the Washington Inn, 801 Washington St. If you love
chocolate (and who doesn’t?), you won’t to miss the Chocolate Fantasy Buffet.
Milk or dark, whatever your preference, you can fulfill your chocolate fantasy
in the decadence of a completely chocolate buffet. Washington Inn Chef Kathleen Cressman-Pastiu will be on hand to share the secrets of her trade. Admission is
$35 per person. Be forewarned. The event sells out quickly. Sponsored by MAC,
for more information or to make reservations, call 609-884-5404 or 800-275-4278
or visit