CAPE MAY – The cure for the long winter chill is to take a long holiday during Presidents Day Weekend, Feb. 16-19 in Cape May, the nation’s first seaside resort. Enjoy a two-day crafts and collectibles show, food and wine events, a lecture, ghost tours and trolley tours, and more, all sponsored by the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts & Humanities (MAC).
Enjoy a variety of entertainment centered around love as The Salty Sirens put a sassy spin on the history of Valentine’s Day during An Evening of Burlesque with the Vintage Vixens of Valentines. You’ll have a fun-filled trip back in time to a period when entertainment was theatrical, sassy, and teased the imagination. Experience this modern take on classic burlesque, rooted in Victorian vaudeville. Food and beverages available for purchase. Friday, Feb. 16 at 8 p.m. at Elaine’s, 513 Lafayette St. Cocktails at 7 p.m. Admission is $30 and advance reservations are required. For mature audiences. Cosponsored by The Salty Sirens, Elaine’s Dinner Theater and the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts & Humanities (MAC).
Spend the day visiting two of Cape May County’s wineries and tasting the unique flavors of each during the Cape May Wine Trail. Travel via trolley to Willow Creek Winery where you’ll enjoy tastings, a brief tour and lunch. You’ll also travel to Natali Vineyards for tastings there with cheese and crackers and receive a souvenir glass. Admission is $75. Saturday, Feb. 17, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. This is a limited event so reserve early.
It’s a bountiful feast for chocolate lovers during the Chocolate Lovers Feast at The Blue Rose Inn on Saturday, Feb. 17 at 1 p.m.Enjoy seven plated courses of chocolate desserts and hear how each was created from the chef who prepared it at The Blue Rose Inn, 653 Washington St. Admission is $40.
The region’s most sought-after collectibles dealers and craftspersons come together for a show in Victorian Cape May on Saturday, Feb. 17 and Sunday, Feb. 18. The show features an array of handmade items, unique gifts, country crafts, glassware, silver, furniture and more. Crafts and Collectibles in Winter will be held at the Cape May Convention Hall, Beach Avenue at Stockton, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is $2 for adults and free for children 12 and under.
There are few more enjoyable ways to warm up during winter than by tasting and appreciating fine wines. Expand your knowledge of wine during the Cape May Wine School class at the renowned Washington Inn, with help from a wine expert. The class Sunday, Feb. 18 takes place at 1 p.m. at the Washington Inn, 801 Washington St., and admission is $40 per person. Call the Washington Inn directly, at (609) 884-5697 for tickets.
The year 1968 was pivotal in both Vietnamese and United States history. Learn about these changes in the Friends of the World War Tower’s presentation, “50 Years Later: 1968 and the Vietnam War – Lessons from the Barbary Wars applied to Vietnam” on Saturday, Feb. 17 at 1 p.m. at the Cape May Lutheran Church, 509 Pittsburgh Ave. Admission is $5 at the door. Free for all World War II veterans, MAC members and students. Presented by the Friends of the World War II Tower in association with the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts & Humanities (MAC).
Craig McManus, paranormal investigator and psychic medium, has conducted numerous investigations throughout the City of Cape May. The Ghosts of Cape May Trolley Tour is a 45-minute evening trolley ride through the streets of Cape May with a guide who relates his findings. Offered on Saturday, Feb. 17 and Sunday, Feb. 18 at 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. Admission is $12 for adults and $8 for children (ages 3-12). Tours leave from the Washington Street Mall Information Booth at Ocean Street.
The best way to get to know Cape May and its rich history is to take the Historic District Trolley Tour. Knowledgeable guides present entertaining and educational stories about the nation’s oldest seashore resort. Tours are offered on Saturday, Feb. 17 at 11 a.m., 12:15 p.m., and 1:30 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 18 at 11 a.m. and 12:15 p.m., and Monday, Feb. 19 at 1 p.m. Admission is $12 for adults and $8 for children (ages 3-12). The Emlen Physick Estate Tour at 1048 Washington St., Cape May’s only Victorian house museum, gives you a glimpse into the lives of a Cape May family of the late 1800s. Tour the 18-room mansion with your guide on Saturday, Feb. 17 at 11:45 a.m., Sunday, Feb. 18 at 11:45 a.m. and Monday, Feb. 19 at 1:45 p.m. Tickets are $12 for adults and $8 for children (ages 3-12). See both the Physick Estate and the historic district on guided Combination Trolley/Physick Estate Tours on Saturday, Feb. 17 at 11 a.m., 12:15 p.m. and 1:30 p.m.; Sunday, Feb. 18 at 11 a.m. and 12:15 p.m., and Monday, Feb. 19 at 1 p.m. Admission is $22 for adults and $14 for children (ages 3-12).
Each year, the Center for Community Arts (CCA) presents an exhibit that highlights and illuminates African American life and history in Cape May and the surrounding region. From its opening in 1928, the Franklin Street School was a symbol of segregation and separation. It stood as a reminder of a racial divide, even after school integration in 1948. For two decades, CCA has worked to preserve, stabilize and restore the school. Now a collaborative effort by CCA and the City of Cape May aims to renew the school as a community center. The Carroll Gallery exhibit “Franklin Street School: From Segregation to Unification” is presented by CCA in association with the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts & Humanities (MAC). The exhibit opens Jan. 13 and is open to the public through April 15, at the Carroll Gallery of the Carriage House, on the grounds of the Emlen Physick Estate, 1048 Washington St., Cape May. Admission is free. The exhibit will include photographs, artifacts and recorded oral and video histories to chronical the history of the school, the initial efforts to preserve and rehabilitate the building, and plans for the building’s expansion and completion. During Presidents Day Weekend, the exhibit is open Saturday, Feb. 17, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 18, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Monday, Feb. 19, 1 to 3 p.m. Admission is free.
The Cape May Lighthouse reopens for the season during Presidents’ Day Weekend. Climb 199 spiraling steps to the top for a panoramic view of the Jersey Cape and Atlantic Ocean on Saturday, Feb. 17, Sunday, Feb. 18 and Monday, Feb. 19 from noon to 3 p.m. Tower admission is $8 for adults and $5 for children (ages 3-12). Admission to the Visitors’ Orientation Center and the ground floor of the Lighthouse is free. The lighthouse is located in Cape May Point State Park, Lower Township.
MAC’s two Museum Shops are open during Presidents Day Weekend and offer museum quality gifts including jewelry, teapots, books, and more at the Carriage House Museum Shop on the grounds of the Physick Estate, 1048 Washington St. There are selections for youngsters as well, including children’s books, toys, dolls, puzzles and games. Cape May Teddy Bear Co.® bears, Mocha and Champagne, make lovable friends for children and dozens of different outfits are available for them. The fully accessible Museum Shop is open Saturday, Feb. 17, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 18, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Monday, Feb. 19, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. You can also delight yourself or your favorite lighthouse lover with something from the Cape May Lighthouse Museum Shop, located next to the Lighthouse in Cape May Point State Park. Here you’ll find Cape May Diamond jewelry, toys, books, and clothing for fans of the Lighthouse. The fully accessible Museum Shop is open Saturday, Feb. 17, Sunday, Feb. 18 and Monday, Feb. 19, noon to 3 p.m. Parking is free at both locations.
For more information on any of these events, or to purchase tickets, call (609) 884-5404 or (800) 275-4278, or visit www.capemaymac.org.