Our culture is rich with generations of heart-felt memories and deeply rooted
family heritage. Warm-weather traditions at the Jersey Shore include plunging into
the Atlantic Ocean, pulling crab traps from the Barnegat Bay and challenging our
skills at game stands or grabbing a pizza pie on our famous boardwalks. Nostalgia
surrounds us here.
www.sparkexploreocean.com 57
The experience of a Jersey Shore vacation has evolved
and expanded over time with the interests of our visitors.
No longer are beach-goers’ plans limited to staking out
a great spot on the sand. For those who seek more than
a relaxing sea breeze, an ever-growing array of festivals,
entertainment and opportunities for adventure invites
visitors to come out and explore our region. From beach
concerts and bonfires to food fests to wine tasting with
giraffes in the middle of a safari park, festivals along New
Jersey’s shore are simply fabulous!
Some of our biggest events include the Food Trucks and
Fire Pits series at Laurita Winery, nestled in the farmland
of western Ocean County, and the Barnegat Bay Festival
in June, which celebrates our 42-mile bay with its natural
wonders and peaceful pleasures. The Beach Plum Festival
on Island Beach State Park after Labor Day features a
variety of foods made with our indigenous beach plums.
Local chowders compete for the year’s coveted prize at
Chowder Fest on Long Beach Island, kicking off the cool
fall season when our appetites are strong.
Grape Adventure at Six Flags Great Adventure and
Safari is a wild and unique experience, transporting
tasters through the safari to an enclosed area where they
can sample wines while watching, and even feeding, the
wildlife. Halloween season brings spooky fun, offering an
abundance of attractions from silly to terrifying, with our
largest crowds braving the annual Fright Fest at Six Flags.
From November to New Year’s, many attractions and
venues present festive holiday entertainment, craft
markets, theatrical performances, open house walks
and exciting displays.
Ocean County’s Tourism Department provides weekly
highlights of upcoming events, as well as a complete
calendar of events on our website. Now you can
download our FREE Ocean County Festivals app in the
app store! To keep up with exciting area happenings, visit
OceanCountyTourism.com, and follow us on Facebook at
Facebook.com/tourismoceancounty.
Go to www.oceancountytourism.com for a complete list of events in the area
January
1/1
New Year’s Day Beach Hike
Island Beach State Park
732-793-0506
www.friendsofibsp.org
1/1
Fire & Ice, Food Trucks & Fireworks
12–6 pm. Tuckerton Seaport
609-296-8868
www.tuckertonseaport.org
1/5
22nd Anniversary of the New Albert
Music Hall Building
Doors open 6 pm, Video 7 pm, Music
7:30-–11pm. Albert Music Hall, Waretown
609-971-1593
www.alberthall.org
1/26
Super “Ice Cream” Bowl Party
3 pm, 5 pm & 7 pm shows. The Music
Man Singing Ice Cream Shoppe,
Lavallette
732-854-2779
www.themusicman.com
2/3
Super Bowl Sunday—Super
Plunge Sunday XV
St. Francis Community Center,
Brant Beach
609-494-8861
www.stfranciscenterlbi.org
2/10
48th Ocean County Bluegrass
Festival
12–5pm. Albert Music Hall,
Waretown 609-971-1593
www.alberthall.org
2/10
Garden State Philharmonic
Youth Winter Concert
Jay & Linda Grunin Center for the Arts
at Ocean County College, Toms River
732-255-0460
www.gardenstatephilharmonic.org
2/10–17
Chocolate Week in the
Long Beach Island Region
Various venues, Southern Ocean
County, Long Beach Island
609-494-7211
www.visitlbiregion.com
2/16–17
The Night the Music Lived:
A Tribute to Buddy Holly, Ritchie
Valens & the Big Bopper
Sat. 7 pm, Sun. 2 pm.
Surflight Theatre, Beach Haven
609-492-9477
www.surflight.org
2/23
Polar Bear Plunge
Seaside Heights Beach,
Seaside Heights
732-830-3700
www.njpolarplunge.org
February
/www.sparkexploreocean.com
/OceanCountyTourism.com
/tourismoceancounty
/www.oceancountytourism.com
/www.friendsofibsp.org
/www.tuckertonseaport.org
/www.alberthall.org
/www.alberthall.org
/www.themusicman.com
/www.stfranciscenterlbi.org
/www.gardenstatephilharmonic.org
/www.visitlbiregion.com
/www.surflight.org
/www.njpolarplunge.org
