Hear Philly: The Shore Thing - Beer, Turtles and A Summer-Long Talent Comp Begins
By Andrew Kramer
SEA ISLE CITY, N.J. (CBS) - After Memorial Day weekend, Sea Isle City doesn't waste any time in getting the summer fun started. On Saturday, May 31st the Craft Beer and Rock Festival returns for a second year.
"If you like craft beer, it's a great event to come to," says President of the Sea Isle City Chamber of Commerce, Christopher Glancey.
Glancey says you'll have many options at this tasting event:
"We have about 40-50 different breweries who show up with about two or three different samples of the beers that they make, and people get a one or two ounce tasting. To go through it all, we have a food court, live bands."
He adds the festival features both local and national beers:
"It's a real fun afternoon event for people to come out and enjoy themselves and try some different craft beers that have become very popular throughout the past few years throughout the state and country."
You get to vote on the best beer. The sampling begins at 3 p.m.
For over a quarter century, the Skimmer Festival has been a mainstay in Seas Isle City, and it returns this summer beginning June 14th. Sea Isle Tourism Representative Diane Merson says things get underway on Saturday:
"We have 400 craft vendors, we have a food court with participating restaurants from Sea Isle City, we have live music, children's entertainment and we also have a sand sculpting demonstration and contest. In the evening we have another live concert at Excursion Park."
But the fun doesn't stop there...
"On Sunday, the Skimmer Festival features an antique auto show from 9 a.m. -1 p.m. and we also offer free, guided historical trolley tours around Sea Isle from 10 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.," she says.
Another Sea Isle tradition, the Sara the Turtle Festival, swims onto the island June 19th -- an event Merson says is educational:
"The Wetlands Institute comes out, Marine Mammal Stranding Center and they teach kids about the environment."
And she says the festival is entertaining as well:
"We've added in a few fun activities for the children, we have some sand art, face-painting, we do baby crawling contests, we have turtle races on the beach and then we also have turtle singers that actually perform at Excursion Park."
And we all know America's Got Talent, but beginning June 20th Glancey says folks can show of their talent in Sea Isle City every Friday night:
"What we have is competitors from all over the tri-state area who come in with all different talents. You have singers, dancers, musicians, we've had acrobats, magicians, we've had just about everything you can imagine as far as talent."
Cash prizes are awarded each week, and a $1,500 grand prize is awarded to the winner after the final competition on August 15th, which consists of all the weekly winners throughout the summer. Sea Isle's Got Talent begins at 8 p.m each Friday.
For more information on all the events in Sea Isle City, you can go to www.visitsicnj.com.
And that's The Shore Thing for this month.
Listen to the full podcast (runs 3:20)…
The Shore Thing: Sea Isle City
Listen to podcasts any time at hearphilly.com.
Follow HearPHILLY on Twitter.
