Skimmer Festival Weekend Entertains Thousands

Each June, the City of Sea Isle City hosts a huge summer festival that draws tens of thousands of visitors to the resort.
Dubbed Skimmer Festival Weekend in honor of the days when ladies wore fancy dresses and men wore skimmer hats while strolling along the boardwalk, Sea Isle’s largest summer festival is always a crowd pleaser that is highly anticipated each year.
Skimmer Weekend will begin on Saturday, June 18, with a giant Seaside Market along Sea Isle’s ocean-front Promenade, featuring hundreds of vendors selling everything from fashion accessories to fishing gear.
The Seaside Market, one of the largest on the east coast, is the festival’s biggest attraction. A popular feature of the market is the Food Court at JFK Boulevard and the Promenade, which will satisfy even the heartiest of appetites. The Seaside Market and the Food Court are both rain-or-shine events that will run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Also on Saturday, from 9 a.m. to noon, festival-goers will enjoy Skimmer Weekend’s Annual Sand Sculpting Demonstration and Contest on the beach at JFK Boulevard, led by artisans from Sand Pounders Professional Sand Sculptors.
All festival-goers are invited to grab their favorite tools and participate in this free event, during which Sound Pounders will create a giant sand sculpture that will be on display throughout the day.
During the sand sculpting contest, participants will build their own creations, which will be judged by members of the Tourism Department, organizers of Skimmer Weekend. Awards in several divisions will be presented to the contest’s winners.
After visiting the Seaside Market, the Food Court and the sandy artwork on the JFK Beach, youngsters won’t want to miss the free children’s activities at nearby Excursion Park, JFK Boulevard and Pleasure Avenue, 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.
Kid’s activities will include face painters in costumes, a moon bounce, a giant obstacle course, free photos in an old-time arcade photo booth and more. There will also a free concert by Good Tymes Band, who will perform at Excursion Park’s new band shell from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
After the vendors have folded up their tables, there will be more free music at the band shell on Saturday night, when The Sensational Soul Cruisers hit the stage at 8 p.m.
There are numerous benches in front of the band shell’s stage, but spectators might want to bring blankets or beach chairs to the concert so to spread-out on Excursion Park’s lawn — just in case the benches are filled.
On Father’s Day, Sunday, June 19, Skimmer Weekend will continue with the Sea Isle City Historical Society’s 21st Annual Antique Auto Show on the Promenade. Car buffs will love the expansive presentation of classic vehicles, which will be on display from 29th Street to JFK Boulevard, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Each year, nearly 100 vintage trucks, classic sedans and other antique vehicles participate in this popular car show, which is a perfect way to celebrate Father’s Day.
During the Antique Auto Show, the Snake Brothers Band will perform from 10 a.m. to noon. At the same time, there will also be Free Guided Historical Trolley Tours of Sea Isle City, led by members of Sea Isle’s Historical Society.
Tours will begin every half hour in front of Excursion Park on the northeast corner of JFK Boulevard and Pleasure Avenue. After enjoying the music at Excursion Park and an open-air trolley ride, festival-goers can stop by the Promenade at 1:30 p.m., when the winners of the Antique Auto Show will receive their trophies from Mayor Leonard Desiderio.
Afterwards, Skimmer Weekend will close in grand style with an Antique Auto Parade, during which the cars from the auto show will drive through town.
For additional information about all Sea Isle City’s Skimmer Festival Weekend, phone (609) 263-TOUR or visit www.seaislecitynj.us.