Throughout the seasons, the downtown hosts a wide array of special events and activities. Spring and Fall Block Parties bracket the summer months and fill Asbury Avenue with crowds that spill into the streets enjoying the food, crafts, and entertainment. Stroll from booth to booth selecting carefully handcrafted articles and munching a sausage sandwich, tangy barbecued beef or pork, or a crab cake slathered in tarter sauce. In addition to the other summertime evens listed above, there are weekly Inn to Inn Tours that commence at 7th Street and Central Avenue on Thursdays. Beginning at 2:00pm, an old-fashioned trolley winds its way through center city neighborhoods for an intimate visit to four or five bed and breakfasts. Afternoon refreshments are offered at the conclusion of the tours.
Autumn offers brisk and sunny weather and a new round of activities. End-of-season sales are a favorite with bargain shoppers. Then families (and the young-at-heart) eagerly anticipate Halloween fun including the annual parade down Asbury Avenue featuring marching bands, floats, and scores of youngsters in festive costumes. Around Thanksgiving, the winter holiday season begins in earnest. Downtown streets and shops are garlanded with seasonal décor, banners and twinkling lights. Stores overflow with unique merchandise of every description – enough to fulfill the desires of everyone on your shopping list. Experience the magic of our small town at this most festive season during Christmas Hospitality Weekend. Bundle up to view the Christmas Parade and share in the excitement of Santa’s arrival; then enjoy a free carriage ride through the downtown with that “jolly old elf” every weekend in December.
Additional stores and restaurants are conveniently scattered throughout the island neighborhoods – many are open year round.
