CAPE MAY – Coast Guard Training Center will play host to the 3rd annual Coast Guard Community Festival, Saturday, May 6, as part of a weekend long celebration of the Coast Guard’s ties to Cape May County.
The Training Center will be open to the public and will include ship tours, local vendors, plenty of kid’s activities, live music and demonstrations from the recruit silent drill team, recruit band as well as search-and-rescue demonstrations by members of Coast Guard Air Station Atlantic City.
“This is an opportunity for us to open the gate, invite in members of the community and share a fun day together,” said Capt. Owen Gibbons, Commanding Officer of Coast Guard Training Center Cape May. “These types of events bring the service and the community together in a meaningful way that honors our history and our relationship.”
In 1924, the U.S. Coast Guard occupied the base and established air facilities for planes used in support of U.S. Customs Service efforts. During the Prohibition era, several cutters were assigned to Cape May to foil rumrunners operating off the New Jersey coast. In 1982, the base became the Coast Guard’s only accession point in the country for enlisted members joining the service.
Sunday, May 7, a breakfast and car show will be held at the Cape May-Lewes Ferry terminal beginning at 9 a.m.
For a complete schedule of events, visit www.coastguardcommunity.org.