New Jersey Seafood Festival Belmar

Belmar ready for hungry visitors. Matisse on the beach in Belmar is open all weekend for dinner & dont forget about Monday live music & Lobsters Monday nights at Matisse in Belmar

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A patron at last year’s New Jersey Seafood Festival enjoyed some fresh, grilled shrimp, just one of many offerings that will be available again this year at the festival, slated for this weekend in Belmar. Photo by Coast Star File Photo, STAR NEWS GROUP



New Jersey Seafood Festival at Silver Lake this Saturday & Sunday
By Kelly Skellinger

BELMAR — This Saturday and Sunday’s New Jersey Seafood Festival, here, promises to be an exciting and entertaining event for all ages, stated Mary Brabazon, coordinator of the 22nd annual event and a member of the Belmar Tourism Commission.

Ms. Brabazon explained on Wednesday that the early planning stages of the festival begin just weeks after the past year’s event ends.

The layout of the festival grounds, located at Silver Lake, was changed slightly this year to make the aisles wider to accommodate the hungry masses, Ms. Brabazon said.

“All of the tents are up,” Ms. Brabazon said, on location at the festival grounds. “I can really feel a sense of it all coming together.”

While the festival attracts people traveling from all over the tri-state area, it also caters to local residents.

According to Ms. Brabazon, on Sunday morning, the Manasquan High School Jazz Band will be opening the event.

In turn, local vendors, such as Brandl and Red’s Custard, both of Belmar, have agreed to provide the children with free food for their participation in the festival.

“Even though the festival is a large event, it really is community based,” Ms. Brabazon stressed. “It’s a family event.”

Ms. Brabazon added that without help from the Belmar Department of Public Works [DPW], Belmar Police Department and the Belmar Tourism Commission, the event would not be as successful as it is today.

“We could not accomplish this feat without their support,” she added.

Carol Lee Tieman, Chair of the Belmar Tourism Commission, commended Ms. Brabazon’s coordination and leadership on Wednesday afternoon.

Ms. Tieman added that the New Jersey Seafood Festival is one of Belmar’s most successful events.

“We look forward to having residents and visitors alike come out and enjoy Belmar,” Ms. Tieman said. “We are hoping that this year’s festival is the biggest and best yet.”

The Belmar Tourism Commission, the organizer of the free event, is anticipating well over 100,000 attendees.

In addition to delectable fish and seafood offerings from a host of restaurants, this year’s festival will include an international wine tent and garden sponsored by Max’s Beer, Wine and Liquor, exciting kids’ activities, great live music, crafters, vendors and more.

Silver Lake Park is located adjacent to Ocean Avenue, between 5th and 6th avenues, in Belmar.

Festival hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

Belmar is easily accessible by public transit by bus and NJ Transit’s North Jersey Coast Line.

During the festival weekend, free trolley service will run between the Belmar Marina, the train station and the beach and festival grounds.

Visitors are encouraged to travel by train or park at the marina and take the free trolley to Silver Lake Park for the festival.

Twice designated one of the top 100 events in America by the American Bus Association, the New Jersey Seafood Festival has been awarded the Governor’s Award for Excellence by the New Jersey Division of Travel and Tourism.

Fantastic Seafood Is

Just The Beginning

Belmar Seafood Festival veterans know they can come back and find their favorite seafood restaurants year after year and be rewarded with everything from the sublimely gourmet to seafood staples, from crab cakes to alligator sausage and everyone’s favorite — fresh steamed lobster.

A sampling of the restaurants on board for this year’s festival include Jake’s Cakes by Brandl, Klein’s Fish Market and Waterside Café, Matisse, Connolly Station, and the new Mr. Shrimp, all in Belmar, and Jack Baker’s Lobster Shanty, which has several locations throughout New Jersey, including Point Pleasant Beach.

Some of the participating restaurants, like Klein’s, have participated in the festival since its inception.

International Wine Tent To Be Sponsored By Max’s Beer, Wine And Liquor

Max’s Beer, Wine and Liquor is the sponsor of this year’s International Wine Tent.

Pouring a terrific selection of wines from all around the world, the wine experts at Max’s will be on hand to answer any wine or spirit related questions, including food and wine pairing suggestions, party planning suggestions and gift ideas.

Proceeds from the festival’s wine tent will benefit the Belmar Tourism Commission’s community projects and other Belmar nonprofit community organizations throughout the year.

Be sure to stop by the International Wine Tent for a unique and refreshing wine experience.

The New Jersey Seafood Festival Is A Team Effort

The 22-year success of the Belmar Seafood Festival is the result of a dedicated team of volunteers and the support of sponsors and local businesses.

Mary Brabazon, Belmar Tourism Commission representative, is the chair of this year’s festival.

“We depend on the entire Belmar team to produce this event, from the police department to public works, our many nonprofit organizations and everyone in between,” she recently commented. “The Belmar Women’s Club hosts the hospitality center at Taylor Pavilion each year, and we count on members of many other groups to volunteer their services that weekend.”

Sponsors Bring Extra Dimension Of Fun To The Weekend’s Festivities

Max’s Beer, Wine and Liquor will have representatives from several different wine distributors to share their expertise with patrons of the festival’s wine tent.

Festival visitors can spin the wheel to win fabulous prizes such as flat-screen televisions and wireless keyboards at Optimum’s display booth, or may enter a chance to win a vehicle at the Vacation Village Resort booth for a drawing that is held once a year at the Vacation Village corporate headquarters.

Always crowd favorites, the Geico Gecko and The Rat, from radio station 95.9 WRAT, will be making personal appearances for great photo opportunities.

Dunkin’ Donuts will be sampling a selection of its new flatbread sandwiches.

Also be sure to look for exciting free giveaways from other sponsors including HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital, Harbour Sands, Monmouth Health Life Magazine, Brookdale Public Radio 90.5 The NIGHT and more.

See All The Action

On NJ.com

Belmar is proud to host NJ.com’s popular Shorecam.

“NJ.com strives to be easy to find and easy to use, to be the first online destination for local news and information. We’re proud to enable communities of interest like Belmar to promote events like the New Jersey Seafood Festival,” said NJ.com Promotion Manager Salomon Islas.

Entertainment

Visitors to the Belmar Seafood Festival know that it’s not just about the food.

Great local music provides the perfect atmosphere to spend the afternoon with a group of friends dancing or just relaxing along picturesque Silver Lake.

This year’s entertainment will appeal to a wide audience, with swing, rock, jazz and blues, New Orleans zydeco, funk and traditional Irish music on the menu.

The entertainment schedule for the weekend includes;

• Saturday, June 7, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., The Paul Marino Band; 1:30 to 3:30 p.m., RB Express; 4 to 7 p.m., VooDUDES

• Sunday, June 8, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., The Blackberry Blues Band; 1:30 to 3:30 p.m., The Blackberry Blues Band; 4 to 7 p.m., Sonny Kenn Band.

Children’s Activities

At The Festival

The New Jersey Seafood Festival promises plenty of fun for kids of all ages.

On Saturday and Sunday at the Children’s Activity Tent, children between the ages of 3 and 11 can enjoy a variety of scheduled arts and crafts projects, ongoing beading and drawings sessions, and entertainment by Lulu the Clown.

Check the tent for scheduling and reservation information.

Jane Magovern will once again supervise the activity tent. An art teacher at Belmar’s St. Rose Grammar School for over 30 years, Mrs. Magovern has also organized the Belmar Summer Arts and Crafts program for more than 20 years.

Mrs. Magovern also helps coordinate the borough’s annual Easter egg hunt and the Belmar Halloween Parade.

Each craft session can accommodate 30 children. Pre-registration is recommended.

The schedule for both Saturday and Sunday is as follows:

• 11:30 a.m., Fish Lei necklace; 12:15 p.m., Under the Sea Wreath; 1 p.m., LuLu the Clown; 2:30 p.m., Under the Sea Sand Art; 3:30 p.m., Sand Art Magnet; 4 p.m., LuLu the Clown; 5 p.m., Coil Back Visor with Fish; 6 p.m., Tropical Fish Necklace.

For additional information, please visit www.visitbelmarnj.com or call the Belmar Tourism Commission at 732-681-3700.

Remember, no pets allowed, please.

The Belmar Tourism Commission gratefully acknowledges the generosity of the festival sponsors: Max’s Beer, Wine and Liquor, sponsor of the International Wine Tent Garden, Optimum, Harbour Sands, GEICO, HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital, Vacation Villages, The Star-Ledger and NJ.com — Everything Jersey, New Jersey Monthly, Monmouth Health Life, The WRAT and 90.5 The Night.