1. Make it a night with your hermit crab
oceancityvacation.com
And you thought the hermit crab you bought on the Boardwalk was no fun. Grab your new tiny pet and head to the 6th St. beach in Ocean City on Wed., August 18. First event is the Miss Crustacean Hermit Crab Beauty Pageant, so be sure to creatively “dress” your crab. Winner receives a Cucumber Rind Cup and gets to walk down a flowery runway. Registration for the pageant begins at 5:30 pm (yes, you have to register your hermit crab) and the pageant begins at 6 pm. After the pageant, stick around for the annual hermit crab race, which starts at 6:30 pm. We’re thinking this won’t be the liveliest race you’ve ever seen, but hey, who knows.
2. Search for diamonds on the beach
sunsetbeachnj.com
The southernmost beach in the state has some sparkly surprises if you take the time to look. At Sunset Beach, polished quartz washes up with the tide so take a walk and see what you can find. (If you come up empty, you can find these special “Cape May diamonds” at some of the shops in town.)
3. Get your hands on some history
hcsv.org
Head to historic Cold Spring Village for 2 days of interactive fun the whole family will love. Try churning butter, carding wool or writing with a quill pen as you visit the historic buildings throughout the village. Visit on Sept. 4 & 5 from 11 am to 4 pm.
4. Take the Navy Seal Challenge
adventuresignup.com
This will not be your usual day at the beach, but if you think you have what it takes, head to Mariner’s Landing Pier in Wildwood. You can compete as a team of 4 or an individual. Be prepared to swim a half mile in the ocean, run 3 miles on the beach and complete an obstacle course. Competition will be held on August 8.
5. Call the beach taxi
609-846-2012
We all know how really, really big the beach is in Wildwood. Sometimes the sand is too hot or the kids are too cranky or you just have too much stuff to carry to make it to the water. That’s when you call the beach taxi, which will take you, your kids, the cooler, the chairs, the toys – whatever you got – as close to the water as you want. When your day at the beach is done, just give them a call and they’ll come pick you up.
6. See a concert – yep, in person
borgata.mgmresorts.com
hardrockhotelatlanticcity.com
Concerts are slowly making a comeback, and both Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa and Hard Rock Hotel in Atlantic City have some great shows planned. Grab your tix for Sebastian Maniscalco, Nikki Glaser and The Commodores at Borgata this summer, and then make plans to see Journey, KISS and Alicia Keys at Hard Rock.
7. Play some serious cornhole
moreyspiers.com
You might think cornhole is a cute little game you play at a picnic, but the game gets real on the beach at Morey’s Pier in Wildwood. On August 28, 64 teams will compete for a $500 cash prize. Games begin at noon, but register online before you go – spots fill up fast. (Then you’ll just have to play cornhole in your backyard.)
8. Sculpt some taffy
oceancityvacation.com
We’ve all had some sticky taffy stuck in our teeth, but few of us have ever had the chance to create a sculpture with Shriver’s salt water taffy. But now you can. Try your (sticky) hand at this sculpting contest on Aug. 25, 10:30 am at the Music Pier in Ocean City.
9. Go to the theater
capemaystage.org
The arts need your support – even at the beach. Spend an evening at Cape May Stage and see their summer show “Ann,” which tells the tale of former Texas Governor Ann Richards. The show runs through August 22, and seating is limited in the already-intimate theater.
10. Find your fun at a festival
wildwoodsnj.com
Festivals are back, so fill your summer weekends with lots of festivals celebrating food, music and culture. Wildwood has 2 you don’t want to miss: On Aug. 6 and 7, the Latin Food & Music festival will be the largest Spanish music festival this summer. On Aug. 19-22, the family-friendly Barefoot Country Music Fest will host headliners like Carrie Underwood and Zac Brown Band. n
