The Happenin’ Month of July
July might be my favorite month of the year. As the month begins, you can actually feel a buzz of excitement through town as cars pack the side streets. Flags come out, grills turn on and there’s a festive vibe as families gather on the beach for the town’s fireworks. Maybe I’m biased, but I really do feel that the Seven Mile Beach is the best place to be when celebrating Independence Day. And then moving forward you have one solid month of beautiful weather, dining, dancing, beach days and just general fun. It’s the one month out of the year that, for many, there isn’t a thought of school projects, homework and children’s sports. The thoughts revolve around beach reads, kite flying and sand castles. And, of course, these great July events happening throughout the island!
Weekly Events
Whether you’re taking a break from the beach or searching for an activity to entertain the entire family, Avalon and Stone Harbor have you covered every single day of the week.
Weekends kick off with the sunshine and an educational walk through the Stone Harbor Bird Sanctuary with guided tours at 10am each day, starting at the Egret Espy Trail at 114th Street and Second Avenue. Enjoy the true flora and fauna of the island before hitting the beach … or perhaps the Farmers Market in Stone Harbor, every Sunday from 8am to 12:30pm at the 95th Street Water Tower Plaza. Grab fresh seafood, hot coffee, organic produce and more at this home-grown event!
Magicians, puppets, animal adventures and more will all be featured at Stone Harbor Family Nights, held every Monday at the Stone Harbor Firehouse at 7pm. Tuesdays are meant for family fun on the island starting at the Avalon Free Public Library with Story Time at 10am. Enjoy fun books and entertaining crafts and dancing as the perfect way to start the day! Following Story Time, head over to the school side of the building for a Children’s Mini Event at 11am – from “Laser Mania” to face painting, the summer holds some great morning fun.
Tuesday evenings, families have the option of movies or music throughout the summer. Stone Harbor hosts the Tuesdays at the Tower Concert Series from 7-8:30pm at the 95th Street Water Tower Plaza featuring a beer and wine garden and bands every week. July kicks off with the sounds of Bruno Mars, Stevie Wonder and Chicago from the Big Package Band, followed by island rock with the Mighty Parrot Band and a tribute to Jerry Garcia with Dead Reckoning. Or maybe you just aren’t ready to leave the beach just yet. No problem! Enjoy Avalon’s Beach Movies every Tuesday at dusk featuring “Pete’s Dragon,” “Secret Life of Pets” and “Moana.” And while you’re enjoying these great movies, be on the lookout for special guests and characters throughout the evening!
Stone Harbor features a new event this summer featuring the popular game Cornhole. Head to the Elementary School every Wednesday from 7-8:30pm for this family-fun competition!
Story Time at the Avalon Library returns on Thursdays again at 10am, followed by more fun children’s activities at the school starting at 11am, and sponsored by the Avalon Performing Arts Council. For Thursday evenings, dance your way through the island starting with Thursdays on Dune in Avalon featuring children’s activities followed by a concert. From 5:30-7pm throughout Dune Drive, kids will enjoy character appearances, face painting, balloons, crafts and more. The live concerts at Veterans Plaza start at 7pm, featuring the likes of Blue Bone, Legendary Bar Busters and BLT Orchestra. Meanwhile in Stone Harbor, St. Mary’s Episcopal Church has its own concert series on the lawn starting at 7:30pm, with the lineup including such acts as Jim Bannach of BLT, The Snake Brothers, The Quietmen and Eddie’s Mom.
Fridays finish out the week with a dedicated Kids Activity at the Avalon Community Hall from 10am to noon. For the month of July, children will enjoy cornhole, sand art, Legos and even a scavenger hunt!
And really … we’re just getting started, folks.
Special and Family-Fun Events
Ocean Galleries is known for its spectacular scheduling of artist appearances throughout the summer, and this month does not disappoint. As you might have noticed, our cover has a special artistic touch to it compliments of pop-culture icon and artist, Peter Max. Max returns to Stone Harbor June 30 through July 5 featuring an exhibition titled “50th Anniversary of the Summer of Love.” The exhibit will include a number of Max’s vibrant images that captured the spirit of the Sixties youth movement. Max’s appearances in Stone Harbor never disappoint and this is a must-see for the holiday weekend. Browse the Stone Harbor Ocean Galleries from Friday, July 30 to Wednesday, July 5 from 10am to 10pm, or meet the iconic artist himself at special receptions held on July 1 and 2 from 7-9pm.
Further into the month, Ocean Galleries returns with another bold exhibit featuring artist Aldo Luongo, July 21-26. Luongo, born in Argentina, has gained international recognition for his contemporary art featuring acrylics and fine-art prints. Attendees to this unique exhibit will enjoy Luongo’s bold, impressionistic style. Each piece captures a wide range of emotion and scenic imagery that has placed him on the top of the contemporary art world for more than four decades. Artist receptions are scheduled for July 22 from 7-10pm and July 23 from 1-4pm. For more information on both of these exhibits and the remaining summer schedule, go to oceangalleries.com.
Now back to fireworks! As mentioned earlier, Seven Mile Beach is the best place to be when you’re celebrating the Fourth of July. And with so many activities between Avalon and Stone Harbor, we dedicated an article just for that on page 10. I must note a big change for this year: Stone Harbor will host its fireworks display on Sunday, July 2, launched from a barge off the 95th Street beach. Avalon’s fireworks are set for July 4. Two nights of fireworks without even leaving the island!
And one can’t celebrate Independence Day without a good, old-fashioned barbecue! The annual chicken barbecue returns to Stone Harbor’s Lutheran Church of Our Saviour on Saturday, July 1. Enjoy Rode’s famous half-chicken, potato salad and corn on the cob for just $16. All proceeds benefit the church’s Vacation Bible School. Barbecue for a great cause, we’ll take it! For more information, call the church at 609-368-3031.
For 55 years, Stone Harbor has embraced the art of the baby parade and made it one of the cutest events to occur over the course of the year. You can’t help but smile as those charming chubby cheeks and decked-out strollers make their way down 96th Street. The 55th Annual Al Cunard Baby Parade will be held on Monday, July 10. Registration starts at 5:30pm at the Wharf parking lot, with the parade beginning at 6pm. Awards are announced immediately following the parade at the Stone Harbor Firehouse, followed by Family Fun Night and the return of the popular Cunard Family of Clowns Magic Show. Get the matching outfits together, Google ideas and pull out the craft paint … or grab a seat on 96th Street and enjoy the show. For more information, go to shnj.org.
Things are about to get fishy, or should we say crabby, around here, as The Wetlands Institute invites all to join for Crabulous Crab Day on Friday, July 14
from 9:30am to 3pm. This family-fun event is both fun and educational – and even a little tasty! Kids can enjoy a crab-themed day filled with activities, games and education. Play a number of fun activities and earn Krabby Dollars that can be redeemed for prizes. Learn the art of crabbing, meet the crabs of the institute, and, of course, don’t miss the Crab Cake Cookoff featuring local restaurant entries. For a fun-filled day of crabulous adventures, be sure to check out The Wetlands Institute’s website for more information at wetlandsinstitute.org.
Stone Harbor’s Lutheran Church of Our Saviour brings a sweet treat to summer with its annual Blueberry Festival on Sunday, July 16 from 6:30-8:30pm. Enjoy a wide variety of blueberry-themed desserts and snacks for a great cause, as all proceeds benefit the Parish Nurse Program.
Throwing shells at the beach is normally a no-no, but not when it comes to the beach sport of clamshell pitching, which is similar to horseshoes. The first international clamshell pitching contest was held in 1946 in Cape May. The next year, Avalon challenged Cape May and the match was held on Avalon’s 21st Street beach. To this day, Avalon holds claim to having the very best beach to pitch these shells, and so in 2010 the Avalon Historical Society revived the W. Norman Mackey Clamshell Pitch Tournament. This year, the event will be held July 22 at the 30th Street beach starting at 9am. Registration and practice will begin at 8:30am. The fee is $10 to enter the singles or doubles categy, or $15 for both. Your registration gets you a Clamshell Pitch hat (and a trophy if you’re one of the winners). Grab some shells and try your hand at this fun sport! For more information, go to avalonhistorycenter.org.
Christmas comes but once a year, unless you stay along the Seven Mile Beach in July! With Santa visiting his summer home in Stone Harbor and a Hawaiian-themed Christmas celebration in Avalon, visitors get to enjoy it twice with a Christmas in July celebration! Stop by the Avalon Community Hall Tuesday, July 25 from 10am-noon for a luau-theme celebration, arts and crafts, games and activities and surprise visitors from popular characters and the man from up north himself! Toys for Tots will be present to accept donations and toys throughout the event. And Santa and Mrs. Claus be in Stone Harbor for their summer vacation July 23-28. They will check in at The Reeds at Shelter Haven early Sunday afternoon, and then have a full schedule of shopping, dining and, of course, relaxing on the beach. You’ll be sure to see this festive couple throughout town and specifically at Monday’s Family Night and at Tuesdays at the Tower. Happy holidays!
And finish out the month celebrating this beautiful island and its surrounding landscape with The Wetlands Institute’s third annual Summer Celebration, set for Saturday, July 29 at the ICONA Golden Inn. The event is sponsored by Diller Fisher Realtors and the Diller Family Foundation and is The Wetlands Institute’s largest event of the year. Enjoy cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, live music and both a silent and live auction. The live auction never disappoints as a professional auctioneer announces high-end items including trips, dinners, exclusive wine collections and more. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased by visiting wetlandsinstitute.org.
Sports & Fitness
This month is jammed with runs, walks, bike rides and swims that will keep you busy … and fit!
Start off the month off with an easy and enjoyable 5-mile run and fun walk with CONTACT Cape Atlantic. The run is scheduled for Saturday, July 8, with the race starting at 8am and a 2-mile walk at 8:05. The event will award winners in each age category, and the first 125 entrants will receive T-shirts. Preregistration is available online or by mail by going to contactcapeatlantic.org. Or you can register the day before from 4-6pm at the Avalon Community Hall (race location). Wondering what you’re running for? CONTACT Cape Atlantic focuses on serving the elderly and disabled with a daily phone call as a telephone reassurance program. More than 150 trained volunteers provide service on a daily basis and are “making a difference, one call at a time.” To participate in the run or to volunteer, go to contactcapeatlantic.org.
Things get a little more challenging with the return of the Stone Harbor Fitness Challenge and 5K on Sunday, July 9 at the 82nd Street recreation field. Racers begin with a 5K course (easy enough) starting in front of the Windrift. Finish at the field, and move to the second part of the challenge featuring nine all-encompassing total-body challenges. This event is designed to test your limits so see if you can complete all nine including (not in this order) heavy-ropes slam, sandbag run, water-jug carry, pushups, burpees, bear crawls under rope, hurdle jumps, plank jacks and medicine-ball slam. There also is a 2-mile kids run right after the 5K starts. The event is run by 7 Mile Sports and it’s a great day for the whole family. For more information and to register, go to 7milesports.com.
The Philadelphia Flyers take their annual trip to the shore with players and new prospects to participate in Trial on the Isle on July 12. Follow the team and prospects throughout town as they begin at 8:45am at the firehouse. Spectators will have a number of unique opportunities to enjoy the team’s athleticism with a new run this year featuring bubble soccer and obstacles, as well as their annual beach volleyball tournament starting at 3:15pm. The team will be available for autographs at the Stone Harbor Elementary School and will end their day at the Yacht Club of Stone Harbor for dinner. For a full schedule of events go to stoneharbornj.org.
The Parkinson Council is partnering with the Storbeck family to host the 10th Annual Flip Flop Walk on Saturday, July 15. Enjoy time with family and friends for a boardwalk stroll to benefit a great cause. Registration to this relaxing stroll is free; however, personal donations of $25 are being accepted to help with this year’s goal of raising $25,000 for The Parkinson Council. Parkinson’s disease is a chronic neurological condition that affects movement. The Storbeck family took action to raise funds for research on Parkinson’s disease after their mother developed symptoms in 2005. When vacationing in Avalon, they got the idea to host a walk after seeing a basket of flip-flops encouraging donations to support cancer research. Ten years later, this event is a community staple in Avalon and a fun way to support The Parkinson Council in researching a cure for the disease. For more information, go to theparkinsoncouncil.org.
The Stone Harbor Triathlon will be held on Sunday, July 16 starting at 7am from the Yacht Club of Stone Harbor. And while the event itself is sold out, it’s definitely something to watch! Cheer on participants as they compete in a quarter-mile swim in the bay, a 5K run and an 11-mile bike ride through Stone Harbor. Proceeds each year benefit a variety of local charities including the Stone Harbor Volunteer Fire Department and Rescue Squad.
While the triathlon is sold out, you can still get in your workout for another great cause with Avalon’s Run from the Sun 5K Run/Walk and Kid Sprints, also set for July 16. Sponsored by the Avalon Yacht Club, this annual race begins at 8:30am at the Avalon Community Hall. T-shirts will be distributed to the first 450 registrants. Bring the young ones for fun Kids Sprints that start before the race at 8:15am! Sprints will be 1/10 of a mile and all finishing participants will receive medals and T-shirts! The 5K race itself follows a USATF certified course and awards will be given to top three finishers in each age category as well as dedicated cash prizes for top three male and females overall and top male and female finishers in the masters category (age 40-plus). There will be music at the finish line, team awards and an overall great morning supporting The Skin Cancer Foundation. Preregistration is available at races2run.com. Early packet pickup and late registration is scheduled for Saturday, July 15 from 3:30-5pm at the Avalon Yacht Club, in addition to Sunday morning before the race.
And what better way to end the month than with a beach ride at low tide along the beach? Join Brendan’s Fund and kick off its annual week of fundraising with the Low Tide Beach Ride scheduled for 6:30pm July 29 at the 9th Street beach. All you need to join in this great event is a bicycle! Ride from 9th to 32nd and back, and enjoy the company, and the view, of course. Register by going to ticketleap.com or stop by the Brendan’s Fund store at 21st and Dune Drive. Enjoy a full week of fundraising events following the beach ride including the Artists & Friends Art Show, Kids’ Karaoke at Bonnie’s Toppings, Pancakes at Fishin’ Pier Grille, Crab Cakes at Sylvester’s and shopping at The Spot! For more information and a full schedule of events, go to ltbr.ticketleap.com/ltbr2017.
And, alas, we move into August. Late-night crab feasts, summer concerts and a preview of what’s to come as summer comes to a close. But relax for now and focus on fireworks. Welcome, July!
