Explore Cape May County’s unique history, celebrate West Cape May’s rich farming heritage, or paint the park pink in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month! Check out this week’s event highlights here at the shore.
42nd Annual Victorian Weekend
Friday-Monday, October 10th through 13th
Where: Throughout Cape May
The 42nd annual Victorian Weekend celebrates Cape May’s Victorian heritage, featuring the Chocolate Championship Tour & Tasting, Historic House Tours, Murder Mystery Dinners, living history programs, lectures, workshops, performances and more. For more information, call 609-884-5404 or 800-275-4278 or visit www.capemaymac.org.
“Secrets of the Deep – Dr. Seuss Exhibition
Opening Friday, October 10th
Where: Ocean Galleries – 9618 Third Ave, Stone Harbor
Ocean Galleries hosts a whimsical and historic exhibition over the Columbus Day weekend highlighting 70 years of Dr. Seuss’s creativity and artwork. “Secrets of the Deep,” featuring a compelling selection of artworks from The Art of Dr. Seuss, opens on Friday, October 10 and runs through Sunday, October 19, 2014. There will be special gallery receptions featuring noted Dr. Seuss expert Jeff Schuffman from 7 p.m. until 10 p.m. on Saturday, October 11 and from 1 p.m. until 4 p.m. on Sunday, October 12.
Phantoms of the Physick Estate
Friday, October 10th from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Where: Emlen Physick Estate – 1048 Washington St, Cape May
Cape May’s “original haunted house,” the 1879 Emlen Physick Estate, is the setting for Phantoms of the Physick Estate. An evening tour is geared to those with a taste for terror, and a day time tour is appropriate for most children. Those stories you heard as a child originated as much darker morality tales, as you will hear during the evening tour, Phantoms of the Physick Estate: Scary Tales, when you enter the 1879 Emlen Physick Estate museum. Characters from these “scary tales” will tell their stories as they guide you through the first floor of the museum then onto the grounds of the Estate, where the tales come to life and the Big Bad Wolf usually wins.
4th Annual Food Day
Friday, October 10th from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Where: Rutgers Cooperative Extension – 355 Court House-So. Dennis Rd, Cape May Court House
Rutgers Cooperative Extension (RCE) will be celebrating the fourth annual Food Day Oct. 10, 2014, and invite you to join us. Special events include a farmer’s market, cooking demonstrations, food vendors, interactive workshops, beekeeping exhibits, seed planting, poster contest and much more. Food Day is a national event and a day to inspire Americans to take a look at what they are eating. Rutgers Against Hunger (RAH!) asks for canned food donations that day for the Community Food Bank of New Jersey for distribution to Cape May County residents.
For further information, please call 609-465-5115, ext. 609 or email mcourtney@co.cape-may.nj.us.
Kiwanis Wine Gala
Friday, October 10th from 7 to 11 p.m.
Where: Cape May Winery – 711 Townbank Road , Cape May
The Gala features “an evening of small plates”, courtesy of Cape May’s finest dining establishments. All proceeds benefit children in need of Cape May County. The Gala will also feature a three hour open bar, live entertainment, and a silent auction.
Fall Block Party and Fireworks Spectacular
Saturday, October 11th from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Where: Asbury Avenue from 5th – 14th Sts, Ocean City
The “Spectacular” will feature 400 crafters, food vendors, music and more. In the evening, family night entertainment will perform on the boardwalk followed by fireworks. For more information, call 609-525-9300.
Fall Fest in the Park
Saturday, October 11th from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Where: Rotary Park – Lafayette St, Cape May
Fall Fest in the park hosted by the United Methodist Women of the Cape May United Methodist Church will be held Saturday, October 11. The Fest will feature vendors, face-painting, attic treasures, a bake table, crafts, and hand-made items. Call 609-886-0489 for more information.
West Cape May Lima Bean Festival
Saturday, October 11 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Where: Wilbraham Park – Perry St, West Cape May
West Cape May Lima Bean Festival will be held Sat., Oct. 11, with a raindate of Oct. 12. This world famous and local’s favorite festival is held in Wilbraham Park at the corners of Broadway and West Perry in beautiful West Cape May. The festival offers free admission.
Lima bean t-shirts, lima bean pottery, lima bean stained and fused glass, lima bean jewelry and lima bean hats will be available along with lima bean chili, lima bean soup, lima bean salad, lima bean cake, lima bean hummus, lima bean empanadas, lima bean crepes and lima bean cookies. There are always a few surprises from the vendors of lima bean related items. Antiques, art, birdhouses, clothing, jewelry, produce, as well as fresh flowers, books and honey will be sold.
This year the entertainment promises to be a special treat. Of course, the highlight of the day is always the crowning of the coveted Lima Bean King and Queen. Voting goes on all day and names are picked at 3 p.m. on stage.
GWCC Third Annual Car Show
Saturday, October 11th from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Where: Woodbine bike path – County Route 550/DeHirsch Blvd, Woodbine
The Greater Woodbine Chamber of Commerce will be holding its third annual car show Oct. 11, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The show will be held along Woodbine’s bikepath, which parallels County Route 550/DeHirsch Boulevard. The car show benefits the GWCC Scholarship Fund which has awarded over $5,000 in recent years. Information can be found on the Chamber’s website www.wccnj.org or by calling Chamber President Lisa Fisher at 609-780-3088.
Seafood Festival
Saturday-Sunday, October 11th & 12th
Where: 30th St & the beach, Avalon
Taste delectable treats from the sea at the Chamber’s Annual Seafood Festival. The Festival features fresh seafood vendors, chowder contest, live music, and more.
Indian Summer Weekend
Saturday-Monday, October 11th to 13th
Where: Music Pier – Moorlyn Terrace & Boardwalk, Ocean City
Indian Summer Weekend will feature seafood vendors at the Music Pier and boardwalk table sales.
Cape May Mitten Festival
Saturday, October 11th from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Where: The Museum of Cape May County – 504 Route 9 North, Cape May Court House
The event will be held Oct. 11 from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. on the grounds of The Museum of Cape May County, 504 Route 9 North. Admission to the event is free.
In pre-Revolutionary Cape May County the mitten trade tied with white cedar lumber as the county’s third most profitable export, said Sheila McCloy-Nuss, museum curator.
“It is believed that the catalyst for the Cape May mitten trade can be traced to Benjamin Franklin,” she said. According to the curator, Franklin received a favor from a local scallop boat skipper. In order to repay the favor, the statesman’s wife, Deborah, sent the skipper’s daughter a “new fashioned cap.” The daughter wore the cap to services at Cold Spring Presbyterian Church, where other girls admired it and started knitting mittens to earn enough money to purchase similar caps in Philadelphia.
The Cape May County Historical and Genealogical Society will be celebrating those women and their entrepreneurial spirit who started the mitten trade with the first annual Cape May Mitten Festival.
Columbus Day Parade
Saturday, October 11th from 2 to 3 p.m.
Where: J.A. LaRosa Way to 63rd & Landis Ave, Sea Isle City
The parade will feature Sea Isle’s “Italian Royal Family,” floats, beauty queens, mascots and many other participants.
Philadelphia German Brass Band in Concert
Saturday, October 11th from 7:20 to 9:30 p.m.
Where: Cape May Convention Hall – 714 Beach Ave, Cape May
The Philadelphia German Brass Band brings their expansive repertoire of authentic German, Eastern European and American brass band music to Cape May Convention Hall, for one night only, Oct. 11 at 7:30 p.m.
Founded in 1935, the Philadelphia German Brass Band is dedicated to upholding the tradition and encouraging the continued development of authentic German, Eastern European and American brass band music. The band is the oldest continually performing German band in the Philadelphia region and amongst the most venerable of such ensembles in the United States. Providing a staple of authentic German brass band music for public and private Oktoberfests, festivals and ethnic events, the ensemble’s singular authenticity is increasingly sought after along the East Coast from Connecticut to Virginia.
Tickets can be ordered by calling (609) 884-9563 or 1-855-708-9699 or online at www.discovercapemaynj.com.
Cape May–Lewes Ferry Classic Car Show
Sunday, October 12th from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Where: Cape May–Lewes Ferry Terminal – 1200 Lincoln Blvd, Cape May
The Cape May Terminal Classic Car Show will be held on Oct. 12. Staging will begin at 7:30 a.m. The show is open to all classic makes and models of vehicles. The car show will have multiple award categories, including Best of Show and People’s Choice. Space is limited. For more information on the car show, please visit CMLF.com or call 609-889-7273.
“Paint the Park Pink” 5th Annual Breast Cancer Walk
Sunday, October 12th from 1 to 4 p.m.
Where: Cape May County Park and Zoo, Shelter #1, Cape May Court House
Walk, run or make a donation to support this important cause. Bring a friend and enjoy the park, music and gift shop! Presented by the Parish Nurse Program at Cape Regional Medical Center. All proceeds benefit Susan G. Komen, Central and South Jersey. Please call 609-463-4043 for more information and to register.
For more information about these, and other community events, see the Herald’s online calendar.
Be sure to visit DoTheShore.com for more information about dining, shopping, activities, entertainment happenings and nightlife.