2026

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June 25, 2026

Two nights of fireworks - coming soon to a beach, deck, or dock near you! 
See below for details on Independence Day Celebrations on Seven Mile Beach! 

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INDEPENDENCE DAY CELEBRATIONS are planned in both Avalon and Stone Harbor.  Best of all, we get TWO nights of fireworks!  Here's the line up for each town:

AJ MEERWALD, NEW JERSEY'S TALL SHIP, arrives this week at the Cape May-Lewes Ferry Terminal for summer sailing!  AJ Meerwald is a 115-foot restored Delaware Bay oyster schooner.  Take a ride on the very waters the ship used to work!  If you've never been aboard, it's a fun experience for sailors young and old--no sailing experience needed!  A variety of trips are available including morning family educational sails, afternoon historic sails, and even local oyster sails.  Find more info or purchase tickets
 
PROPOSED LIBRARY & HISTORY CENTER: Avalon has proposed a new Library & History Center to provide more space, along with a renovated community space in the current library.  A new library in the 200-block of 39th Street would double the size of the current library to 18,000 square feet, and incorporate the History Center.  The current library would be renovated to include both a school library and a 6,000 square foot Community Event Space.  The proposal anticipates no additonal tax burden.  For details and Q&A
 
AVALON'S TIDAL DASHBOARD is the result of a partnership with meteorologist Joe Martucci and ShorelySafe.  The dashboard includes current and projected tidal conditions using real time data, historical high tide info, and more.  The site will prove useful for everything from routine checking of current tides to planning in advance of anticipated flooding.  Check it out

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UPCOMING EVENTS: 

Lunch & Learn: The Battle of Turtle Gut Inlet with Cold Spring Village.  Cape May County Library, Cape May Court House, Thursday, June 25th, 12pm to 1pm. Registration opens June 11th
 
Islandman Triathlon.  Quarter-mile ocean swim, 12-mile bike ride, 5K beach run.  Avalon Community Hall, Saturday, June 27, 7:20am to 9:20am.
 
Stone Harbor Fire Department Hoagie Sale.  Come early because they go fast!  Stone Harbor Fire House, Saturday, June 27th, 8am to 10am.
 
Islandkids Triathlon.  100-meter ocean swim, 5k bike ride, 1k beach run.  Avalon Community Hall, Saturday, June 27th, 9am to 11am.
 
Stone Harbor Walking House Tour.  Tour eight homes on Bower, Weber, and Stone Courts.  $40 per person.  Saturday, June 27th, 12pm to 4pm.  www.StoneHarborMuseum.org
 
Avalon Reading of the Declaration of Independence.  Surfside Park, Thursday, July 2nd, 6:30pm.
 
Avalon Golf Cart Parade.  Begins at 29th Street parking lot.  Friday, July 3rd, 6pm.
 
Fireworks Express aboard Cape May Seashore Lines.  Celebrate America 250 with the return of the Fireworks Express round trip train ride.  Richland Village Train Station, Friday, July 3rd, 7:45pm.  Info and tickets
 
Stone Harbor Fireworks.  82nd Street Recreation Field.  Friday, July 3rd, dusk.
 
July 4th Activities at the 82nd Street Recreation Field:  10am: Home Run Derby; Sandcastle Building Contest; Kids Bike Parade.  Noon: USA Decorated Golf Cart Parade (St. Paul’s parking lot to 82nd Street Rec Field.  All Day: Revolutionary War Encampment at Water Tower.
 
Avalon Boat Parade.  Begins at Avalon Yacht Club.  Saturday, July 4th, 12 noon.
 
Avalon Fireworks.  Saturday, July 4th, 9pm.
 
Stone Harbor American Idol.  Seven singers ages 12 & up will compete to be the Stone Harbor American Idol champion.  Water Tower Plaza, Tuesday, July 7th, 6pm to 8pm.
 
Sound Bowl Meditation.  Relaxation via soothing sounds.  Avalon Free Public Library, Tuesday, July 7th, 6:30pm to 7:30pm.
 
SH Museum Talk: Local Signers of the Declaration.  Stone Harbor Museum, Wednesday, July 8th, 7pm to 8pm.
 
Stone Harbor Triathlon.  Quarter mile swim, 11 mile bike ride, 5k run.  Stone Harbor Yacht Club, Sunday, July 12, 7am to 9am.
 
Somm’s Table: Natural & Biodynamic.  Explore wines made with minimal intervention and a deep respect for the ecosystem.  Washington Inn & Wine Bar.  Sunday, July 12th, 3pm to 4pm. Read More https://www.washingtoninn.com/upcoming-events/somms-table

 

June 18, 2026

On a beautiful June morning a commercial fishing vessel is headed in,
while a small recreational fishing vessel plies the waters just outside the inlet .

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SUMMER SOLSTICE: THE LONGEST DAY!   This weekend marks the summer solstice, the point at which the earth's tilt toward the sun reaches it's maximum angle.  The actual solstice occurs on Sunday, when we'll enjoy nearly15 hours of daylight between sunrise and sunset.  In Avalon, sunrise will occur at 5:33am Sunday morning, and sunset will occur at 8:28pm.  
 
"EXTREME DROUGHT:" That's the classfication for Cape May County according to Drought.gov.  Although much of the state is classified as moderate or severe, Cape May County has faired worse with regard to recent precipitation.  The National Weather Service data indicates Cape May County has received just over 33 inches of preceipitation in the past 12 months, down more than 10 inches from normal.  A single storm or rainfall helps, but it will take many months of above average preceipiation fully restore water levels.  We can all help out in many ways, without major inconvenience: eliminate drips and leaks in plumbing or garden hoses; shorten showers by a few moments; don't allow water to run while washing or drying dishes; irrigate deeply but less frequently.
 
SCHOOL'S OUT, SUMMER'S IN! Still haven't made your summer vacation plans?  Take a look at our latest offerings! From small condos to gorgeous homes, we've got something for every budget!  Check them out here
 
WANT TO MAKE IT PERMANENT? If you've always dreamed of owning your very own shore property, let me help you achieve that goal.  From utlizing equity in a property elsewhere, to using rental income to pay for expenses, there are numerous ways to make it work.  Call or email me and we'll set up a time to talk!
 
NEXT WEEK: Stay tuned for details on Independence Day celebrations in Avalon and Stone Harbor!

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UPCOMING EVENTS: 

Avalon Historical Society 19th Olde House Tour.  Featuring four churches and three homes, all built between 1892 and 1935.  Friday, June 19th, 1pm to 4pm.  For tickets visit the Avalon History Center at 215 39th Street, or call 609-967-0090.
 
Surfside Concert: Peter Mayer Group. Bring beach chairs and blankerts. Surfside Park, Friday, June 19th, 7pm.
 
Summer Solstice Festival.  Food vendors, beer & wine sales, balloon artists, face painters, and live music. Surfside Park, Saturday, June 20th, 5pm to 8:30pm.
 
Jimmy and the Parrots.  Jimmy Buffett music performed by Jimmy and the Parrots at the Summer Solstice Festival.  Surfside Park, Saturday, June 20th, 6:30pm to 8:30pm.
 
Father's Day Fish Fry, Cape May Winery, Sunday, June 21st, seatings at 12:30pm, 1:30pm, 2:30pm, and 3:30pm.  Reservations are required.  Book here
 
SHPOA's Harbor Hustle.  5k Run, 1M Walk/Run.  Net proceeds benefit Shells of Hope, to support pediatric cancer research.  96th Street & First Avenue, Sunday, June 21st, 8am. Read More
 
Flyers Legend Joe Watson.  Stories, book signing.  Surfside Park, Sunday, June 21st, 4pm to 5pm.
 
Comeback Story for the Ages - The Osprey in New Jersey.  Avalon Community Hall, Wednesday, June 24th, 6pm to 7pm.
 
Lunch & Learn: The Battle of Turtle Gut Inlet with Cold Spring Village.  Cape May County Library, Cape May Court House, Thursday, June 25th, 12pm to 1pm.  Registration opens June 11th: 
 
Fireworks Express aboard Cape May Seashore Lines.  Celebrate America 250 with the return of the Fireworks Express round trip train ride.  Richland Village Train Station, Friday, July 3rd, 7:45pm.  Info and tickets 

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Weekly Activities: 

Every Sunday:  Stone Harbor Farmer's Market, Water Tower Plaza, Saturdays, 8am to 12 noon. 

Daily Activities: 

Every Day: Salt Marsh Safari, Wetlands Institute, Stone Harbor Boulevard.  Info here

 

June 11, 2026

Turtle fences along local roadways help keep egg laying diamondback terrapins safe. 
You can help, too!  See below for more.

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A MAJOR BEACH REPLENISHMENT PROJECTfor Avalon and Stone Harbor has been announced by the US Army Corps of Engineers.  A $15.8 million contract has been awarded to Norfolk Dredging Company for hydraulic beach replenishment to occur this summer.  Sand will be dredged from Townsend's Inlet and Hereford Inlet borrow sites and pumped onto Avalon and Stone Harbor beaches.  In Avalon, approximately 941,032 cubic yards of sand will be placed from 9th Street to 28th Streets; In Stone Harbor approximately 538,867 cubic yards of sand will be placed from 98th to 114th Streets and from 120th Street to the terminal groin.  Norfolk Dredging is expected to begin work after completing operations on a nearby project in Sea Isle City and Strathmere.  More details will be shared in the coming weeks.
 
ACTRESS JANE SEYMOUR will be at Ocean Galleries this weekend, sharing the story behind her paintings.  Seymour's collection will be on display Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, and 10% of all artwork sales will benefit the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Cooper University Healthcare. more info and an RSVP form
 
IT'S TURTLE TIME!  Please keep an eye open for turtle crossings while travelling local roadways!  At this time of year diamondback terrapins seek high ground on which to lay eggs and often cross roadways while doing so.  Although some of our roadways have turtle fences along them, turtles can still be found crossing in many areas.  Please slow down to avoid them!  If you're inclined to help a turtle across the road, please take all necessary steps to ensure your own safety in traffic, and then cross the turtle in the direction it was headed.
 
SHE SAID YES!  Christina was surprised when Connor proposed on the dock...as Miss Avalon pulled up with a boatload of cheering fans onboard!  Watch the fun here! 
 
STONE HARBOR RESTAURANT WEEK runs through June 14th.  Enjoy an old favorite or try a new place! Check out participating restaurants and menus

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UPCOMING EVENTS: 

Privateering in New Jersey During the American Revolution.  Tennis Building, 250 39th Street, Thursday, June 11th, 1pm. 
 
Stone Harbor Restaurant Week.  Participating restaurants will offer dining specials through Saturday, June 13th. 
 
Spring into Summer Surfside Concert: The Rock N’ Roll Collective.  The next generation of musicians ages 13-18 perform at Surfside Park.  Bring chairs and blankets.  Saturday, June 13th, 6pm. 
 
Avalon Historical Society 19th Olde House Tour.  Featuring four churches and three homes, all built between 1892 and 1935.  Friday, June 19th, 1pm to 4pm.  For tickets visit the Avalon History Center at 215 39th Street, or call 609-967-0090. 
 
Summer Solstice Festival.  Food vendors, beer & wine sales, balloon artists, face painters, and live music.  Surfside Park, Saturday, June 20th, 5pm to 8:30pm. 
 
Jimmy and the Parrots.  Jimmy Buffett music performed by Jimmy and the Parrots at the Summer Solstice Festival.  Surfside Park, Saturday, June 20th, 6:30pm to 8:30pm. 
 
Father’s Day Fish Fry, Cape May Winery, Sunday, June 21st, seatings at 12:30pm, 1:30pm, 2:30pm, and 3:30pm.  Reservations are required.  Book here
 
Lunch & Learn: The Battle of Turtle Gut Inlet with Cold Spring Village.  Cape May County Library, Cape May Court House, Thursday, June 25th, 12pm to 1pm.  Registration opens June 11th
  Fireworks Express aboard Cape May Seashore Lines.  Celebrate America 250 with the return of the Fireworks Express round trip train ride.  Richland Village Train Station, Friday, July 3rd, 7:45pm.  Info and tickets

Weekly Activities: 

Every Sunday:  Stone Harbor Farmer's Market, Water Tower Plaza, Saturdays, 8am to 12 noon. 

Daily Activities: 

Every Day: Salt Marsh Safari, Wetlands Institute, Stone Harbor Boulevard.  Info here

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June 4, 2026

The blue ocean water of the Mid-Atlantic Bight has been even more blue in recent weeks. 
See below for more!  Photo from NASA Earth Observatory, May 3, 2026.

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 AVALON announced the closure of beach paths at 11th to 13th Streets for safety reasons due to beach erosion caused by strong northeasterly winds over the Memorial Day Weekend.  The paths may have to remain closed until a much-anticipated hydraulic beach fill takes place.  Bids for the hydraulic beach fill were opened by the borough last week, and the low bid is currently undergoing a full legal review.  Emergency funding for the hydraulic beach replenishment has been earmarked by the federal government, with no local funding contribution required.  No start date has been announced, but it is hoped that the beach fill will take place during the summer.
 
MARKET STATS: 14 properties sold in Avalon last month (May 2026), and 4 sold in Stone Harbor.   An additional 40 properties are under contract across both towns.  For a detailed look at the market, see the latest Long & Foster Market Minute report: Avalon   Stone Harbor
 
OUR BLUE WATER IS...EVEN MORE BLUE!  The waters of the Mid-Atlantic Bight - the zone that stretches from Long Island, NY to Virginia - have recently turned even more blue than usual, according to NASA.  Satellite images recorded by NASA began detecting the change in April, with the most visible changes appearing in shallow coastal zones where Raritan Bay, Delaware Bay, and Chesapeake Bay merge with the Atlantic Ocean.  According to NASA, "some of the color visible in the images may be due to outflows from coastal rivers and sediment churned up by spring storms, and there are likely phytoplankton blooms happening."  Spring runoff, increased sunlight, and shifting winds that bring upwellings of cooler, nutrient rich water to the surface all contribute.  Phytoplankton themselves eventually consume the nutrients, leading to the eventual decline of the bloom.  Some local boaters and fishermen have reported the ocean waters being exceptionally blue in the past month.
 
REMINDERS FOR BOATERS:  The New Jersey State Police Marine Services Bureau reminds all boaters of New Jersey's "Slow Speed/No Wake" rules.  Slow speeds are required when within 200 feet of marinas, piers, and docks, in lagoons and canals, and near work barges, platforms, or floats.  Boaters are responsible for injury or damage caused by their own wake.  The US Coast Guard also cautions that heavy ice formations that occurred this past winter damaged some channel markers in the Intracoastal Waterway.  Markers have been replaced, but damaged portions may remain below the surface, so boaters should always pass buoys on the correct side, and give them a wide berth.

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UPCOMING EVENTS: 

Avalon Bay Park Marina Ribbon Cutting.  Ceremony and tours of the marina.  54th Street & Ocean Drive, Friday, June 5th, 1pm. 
 
Avalon Garden Club Flower Show.  Avalon Community Hall, Saturday, June 6th, 10am to 3pm. 
 
Retail Wine Tasting at The Washington Inn & Wine Bar.  Sunday, June 7th, 3pm to 4pm.  Reservations are required
 
Cape May Restaurant Week.  More than 20 restaurants offering special menus and pricing.  Through June 7th. 
 
Family Promise of Cape May County 16th Anniversary Gala.  Entertainment by The Fabulous Grease Band, Silent Auction, Raffles, 50/50.  The Grand Hotel Penthouse Ballroom, Cape May, June 5th, 5pm to 10pm.  For info & tickets visit
 
Escape the Cape Triathlon.  Swim off the Cape May-Lewes Ferry, bike 23 miles, run 5 miles.  Sunday, June 7th.  Details and registration
 
Stone Harbor Restaurant Week.  Participating restaurants will offer dining specials.  Sunday, June 7th through Saturday, June 13th. 
 
Birding South Cape May, presented by the Cape May Bird Observatory.  Wednesday, June 10th, 4pm to 6pm. Registration and info here
 
Privateering in New Jersey During the American Revolution.  Tennis Building, 250 39th Street, Thurday, June 11th, 1pm. 
 
Spring into Summer Surfside Concert: The Rock N' Roll Collective.  The next generation of musicians ages 13-18 perform at Surfside Park.  Bring chairs and blankets.  Saturday, June 13th, 6pm. 
 
Avalon Historical Society 19th Olde House Tour.  Featuring four churches and three homes, all built between 1892 and 1935.  Friday, June 19th, 1pm to 4pm.  For tickets visit the Avalon History Center at 215 39th Street, or call 609-967-0090.
 
Summer Solstice Festival.  Food vendors, beer & wine sales, balloon artists, face painters, and live music.  Surfside Park, Saturday, June 20th, 5pm to 8:30pm. 
 
Father's Day Fish Fry, Cape May Winery, Sunday, June 21st, seatings at 12:30pm, 1:30pm, 2:30pm, and 3:30pm.  Reservations are required.  Book here
 
Lunch & Learn: The Battle of Turtle Gut Inlet with Cold Spring Village.  Cape May County Library, Cape May Court House, Thursday, June 25th, 12pm to 1pm.  Registration opens June 11th: https://cmcl.org/event/14966436 
 
Fireworks Express aboard Cape May Seashore Lines.  Celebrate America 250 with the return of the Fireworks Express round trip train ride.  Richland Village Train Station, Friday, July 3rd, 7:45pm.    Info and tickets her

Weekly Activities: 

Every Sunday:  Stone Harbor Farmer's Market, Water Tower Plaza, Saturdays, 8am to 12 noon. 

Daily Activities: 

Every Day: Salt Marsh Safari, Wetlands Institute, Stone Harbor Boulevard.  Info here

 

 

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