Here’s What’s Happening at the Jersey Shore This Weekend

Seafood, wine, fun for the kids...great ideas for you and your family this Saturday and Sunday, June 8th and 9th, 2013!

-- The Belmar Seafood Festival: A seafood extravaganza that my boys and I attend every year! Over 45 of our area's finest restaurants and food vendors bring their lobster, shrimp, crab legs, clams, and SO MUCH MORE to Belmar. Live entertainment, a wine and beer garden, crafts, kids' activities....this is one of the top festivals in the nation. Free admission, and food prices vary....but the deal on fresh lobster can't be beat!!!!!! Sometimes we eat two or three there and then bring another few home! Saturday 11 am - 8 pm, Sunday 11 am - 6 pm at Silver Lake Park (If it's not rained out, you can also go tonight, June 7th, from 4pm - 8 pm).

-- The Jersey Shore Wine Festival: Hosted by the Lakewood Blue Claws. Includes samples of a variety of award-winning wines from our state, live music, crafts, food vendors, and the children's play area, at First Energy Park in Lakewood, Saturday and Sunday, Noon - 5 pm.

-- Irish Festival: At Monmouth Park Racetrack in Oceanport. Live entertainment on two stages, Pipe & Drum Band Competition, food, crafts, Irish Step Dancing, family activities, Ceili and Step Dancinig, a Human Horse Race, and of course a full day of Thoroughbred racing. Gates will open EARLY at 10 am on Sunday.

-- 1830's Children's Festival: School Days of the past this Sunday at the Historic Village of Allaire from 10 am - 4 pm. It's a day celebrating children and families, $5 per person, kids under 6 are free. Activities include 19th century school lessons, children's games, music and dancing, vendors, cooking demonstrations, face painting and crafts, contests and so much more. And an hour-long Children's Tea Party from 1 pm - 2 pm for the first100 kids. No additional fee, but registration required. Call 732-919-3500 to sign up for the tea party.

-- Pet CPR: If your dog or cat suddenly had a heart episode, would you know it? And would you know what to do? Saturday you can learn pet CPR at the Brick Township Volunteer EMS Headquarters. For more information, call 732-948-7723.

-- Ocean Fun Days: Free, family-oriented activities with an environmental and educational focus. It takes place Saturday at Island Beach State Park and Sunday at Sandy Hook. Drag a seine net, go on a guided beach hike, a scavenger hunt, a kids' science fair, a Marine Fisheries Lab Open House at Fort Hancocck on Sandy Hook,  learn about seaside birds and so much more!

-- South end spring Lake Surf Contest: Come out and watch! (no-wave date is June 22) at south End Surfing Beach. Raising money for the Samaritan Center. At the South End Pavilion. Free to watch! Or to register you or your kids to participate in the bodyboard or surfing shortboard contests,email southendsurfcontest@gmail.com. All age groups can sign up.

--The first race in the Meridian Heart and Sole Cup takes place this Sunday June 9th at Ocean Medical Center on Jack Martin Blvd. in Brick. It’s a day of fun for the whole family. On Sunday, registration opens at 7:00am, the 5K walk/run begins at 8:30am and free kids races take place at 10:00am.There will be prizes award in several age categories with $3000 prize money awarded to the top three overall male and female finishers and top three male and female finishers in several age categories.For more info, visit the Ocean Medical Center website.

-- Sea Girt Lighthouse Tour: Guided tours are conducted Sundays. Explore every room from the keeper's office through the living quarters and up to the top of the tower. Exhibits present the history of the lighthouse and the keepers and later Coast Guardsment who operated the landmark. Bygone Sea Girt is also recalled in photos. And photos and artifacts from the Morro Castle cruise ship that burned offshore in 1934 prompting a heroic rescue! Tours are free, donations appreciated. Beacon Blvd and Ocean Ave, Sunday, 2 pm - 4 pm. For more info, visit www.hulafrog.com.