Jersey Shore Insider

PT. PLEASANT - Nothing signifies the kick-off to summer better than the Point Pleasant Summerfest, which is being held on Saturday, June 2, 2012, from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. (with a rain date of Sunday, June 3). This is the largest festival produced by the Point Pleasant Chamber of Commerce throughout the course of the summer.

Bring your appetite along with your friends and plan to spend the entire day because the food lineup looks amazing! In addition to all of the great Jersey Shore festival foods including Jersey Fresh Seafood, Smokin’ BBQ, Roasted Jersey Corn, Kettle Corn, Funnel Cakes, Zeppoles, and of course, Boardwalk Fries; Summerfest will be showcasing Point Pleasant’s own Shore Fresh Seafood, Ralph’s Italian Ice and the Point Lobster Company. To rinse all that down, there will be a variety of beverages on-site including a selection of Barefoot Wines, Ice Cold Coors Light, Craft beers and non-alcoholic beverages including an all-you-can-drink fountain soda vendor.

OCEAN GROVE - The Ocean Grove Giant Spring Flea Market, scheduled for Saturday, June 2nd, from 9am-4pm, has been an ongoing event for over 30 years. Over 350 vendors offering a huge variety of items from antique furniture to quilts to lampshades (plus the location) make this a truly unique market.

Spend the day in historic Ocean Grove - shop, eat, stroll the boardwalk and watch the waves roll in. Come by bus, train or car.  Ocean Grove is less than a tank of gas away. Step back in time, forget your troubles and enjoy a truly marvelous day. Follow the signs to the Great Auditorium and you will find this event. Rain or shine! For more information, log onto  www.oceangrovechamber.org.

ISLAND HEIGHTS - Whether you swim, fish, kayak, clam, sail or ice boat on the Barnegat Bay, there is never a better time to celebrate this unique and wonderful natural resource of New Jersey than at the Barnegat Bay Festival.  Join us as we celebrate the Bay! Look back at its Past splendor, enjoy its Present contributions, and commit to safeguard its Future at this year’s 15th annual Festival being held once more at Wanamaker Complex in Island Heights on Sunday, June 3, 2012, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Rain or Shine). The Barnegat Bay Festival is sponsored by the Barnegat Bay Partnership with support from our partners, the Ocean County Board of Chosen Freeholders and Ocean County College. 

This year's festival theme is "Protect Our Bay, Protect Our Future". The Barnegat Bay is in trouble and it’s up to all of us to learn what it was like in the past, what happened to change it and what we can do to protect its future for the generations to come.

OCEAN GROVE - In the spirit of the Memorial Day holiday, Ocean Grove will kick off its 2012 summer entertainment season with a FREE concert by the Atlantic Wind Ensemble and Festival Chorus entitled “Land of the Free, Home of the Brave” on Saturday, May 26, 2012.  Show time is at 8 PM at the Great Auditorium, located at Pilgrim and Ocean Pathways in Ocean Grove, NJ.   Information: www.oceangrove.org.  Donations will be accepted to benefit the Great Auditorium.  All facilities are handicapped accessible.

Under the direction of Harry D. Eichhorn, this year’s program will feature the fifty-voice Festival Chorus (Musical Director: Mary Eichhorn) and the Atlantic Wind Ensemble.  The program will include  patriotic  and military anthems, Broadway medleys, classic and choral works, plus our traditional Salute to the Armed Forces: 

LBI REGION - What makes a place inspirational; is it the air, the water, the landscape or the people who inhabit it? For well over a century the Long Beach Island Region has drawn creative people, with everyone taking their interpretation with them to either share or keep for themselves. If you are seeking local artists they can be found by visiting galleries, taking classes or viewing exhibits. You can also take advantage of premiere art festivals, performances and special presentations.  Arts abound in every direction of our community; take part in it.

Back for its fourth year and growing strong is The Lighthouse International Film Festival June 1-3. It offers film enthusiasts a chance to screen award-winning films, meet industry leaders and take in after-parties. View the 2012 schedule, purchase tickets or passes and find out why this festival is fast becoming a favorite among film lovers.  Passes can also be purchased at lighthousefilmfestival.org or visitLBIregion.com.

LBI - For the fourth straight year, the Lighthouse International Film Festival is featuring Surfing Films as part of its film line-up as a salute to the surfing community here on Long Beach Island and all over coastal New Jersey. 

Body surfing is considered the purest of all forms of surfing and Come Hell or High Water features surfer Keith Malloy’s passion for it. “It’s about taking a breath and kicking your feet in the big blue sea, come hell or high water.” This movie shows the simplicity and beauty of body surfing along with the history and progression of the sport through its many unique characters, pioneers and innovators. Shot mainly in 16 millimeter, this film spans the globe from Tahiti to Fiji, to Montana, Hawaii and California. It won Best Film and Best Cinematography at the New York Surf Film Festival.