|
Enough! Everyone is talking about how bad the weather has been. Not much we can do about it so, let’s just find other ways to have fun. Asbury Park is full of them. Here are few:
This weekend is the 21st Annual Asbury Park Jazz Festival. I have a special place in my heart for this event since it really is one of the only community festivals left in New Jersey. There is no entrance charge. Get ready for plenty of great music, delicious food and wonderful merchandise. Acts include Radam Schwartz, Keith Marks, Anthony Nelson Jr., Queen & NJ Praise and Minister and TR McAllister with Family and Friends. This is always one of Asbury Park’s great events. The festival gets underway at noon and will go until 8 PM. Huge!
Also this weekend:
Friday: Uncle Floyd at Asbury Lanes at 8 PM.
Saturday: The Smithereens at the Stone Pony at 7:30 PM.
Mary McCrink at Salt Water Beach Café.
Jazz Lobsters at McLoone’s Super club
Paul Marino Band at Brickwall at 9 PM
Sunday: Summerfest 09 on the Asbury Park boardwalk.
Old #7 at Brickwall – 4 to 7 PM.
American Littoral Society Benefit with Status Green, Dub Proof, A
Love Like Pi, Ire Sound and Radom Test at Stone Pony (all ages).
Wednesday, July 1st: AP City Council Reorganization Meeting.
Thursday, July 2nd: Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes at the Stone Pony.
Saturday, July 4th: Parade and the best ever fireworks show on the Jersey Shore!
SymphoNY Chorus will perform “A Celebration of Spiritual and Gospel Music” at Trinity Church on Saturday, June 27th at 7:30 PM.
Clean Ocean Action will celebrate Ocean Independence Day in Asbury Park on July 1st starting at 4:30 PM at Langosta Lounge, 1000 Ocean Avenue. Festivities will include a press conference, beach rally, paddle-out, special movie in the Carousel – Leonardo DiCaprio’s The 11th Hour, and beach fireworks. The event will also launch the 19th Annual Clean Ocean Action Shore Tips (C.O.A.S.T.) Campaign, which educates and motivates citizens about ocean pollution issues by empowering them with solutions and ways to take action. We are honored to be the host for this event. HUGE! Of course, in Asbury Park!
Finally, the Asbury Park “Endless Summer” list of events has been posted on the city’s web site: www.cityofasburypark.com. (my fault). So take a look and mark your calendars. *Please note that the list is all we know about right now and as you know, new parties are invented everyday in the city. Good Times!
Wal-Mart awarded Asbury Park a $10,000 sustainability grant for our community gardens.
Let the Right on In is playing at The Showroom, 708 Cookman Ave. Thursday through Saturday nights. Based on the best-selling novel by John Ajvide Lindqvist, this Swedish vampire movie won the Founders Award for Best Narrative feature at the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival.
Mondovino (PG) in association with the Asbury Park Film Initiative will be shown in The Showroom at 4 PM on Sunday. This remarkable documentary addresses the impact globalization has had on world famous wine regions. A wine tasting will take place after the film at 6 PM at The Harrison (right next door).
The Asbury Park Concert Band will begin its summer series in the Grand Arcade at Convention Hall next Thursday, July 2nd with a children’s program of patriotic music.
Sometimes adversity brings out the best in us. This week’s AP Ambassador is Ruth Ann Harrison. Most of us know Ruth Ann and appreciate all she does to promote all the good in the city. She also owns and operates RUE Events and last weekend operated the new Saturday outdoor venue for the WAVE Gathering. As we all know, Mother Nature did her best to make things extremely difficult. Some of the downtown retailers shared that they had a pretty good Saturday and the numbers were better than last year. So, even though it poured, Ruth Ann shined!
The Carousel Farmers Market, Asbury Park’s first-ever restaurant-driven farmers’ market will host its inaugural samplings in the Carousel building on Thursday, July 2nd. Held weekly on Thursdays, from 9 AM to 1 PM, The Carousel Farmers Market will work to coordinate support and demand between New Jersey Farmers and community restaurants. The primary goal of the Carousel Market is to raise awareness of the benefits of buying local and supporting local economies (Bought in!). Although the Carousel Farmers Market is geared to supplying Asbury Park’s thriving restaurant industry, the ocean front market will be open to the public. When demand is met, the market will expand its schedule to include Saturday mornings. The APUEZ Main Street Farmers’ market will probably open on Saturday, July 4th. Fresh!
All that Jazz and sunshine too! And don’t forget all our great shops. Only in Asbury Park!
Tom Gilmour
Director of Commerce and Good Times |
