Celebrate New Jersey tomatoes in Cape May.

Several upcoming events in Cape May remind us that New Jersey is fertile state, known by many for its fabulous produce. To support our local  farmers, we encourage guests of our Cape May Bed and Breakfast to check out The West Cape May Tomato Festival on September 3, 2011, the West Cape May Annual Lima Bean Festival, on October 8, 2011, and Rea’s Harvest Country Fair, on October 15, 2011.

The West Cape May Tomato Festival will celebrate luscious, large, New Jersey grown tomatoes (said by some to be the best in the country). Vendors will showcase and sell a large variety of art, jewelry, and stained glass as well. Wilbraham Park, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m, on September 3, 2011. Rain date is September 4.

How many times in your life can you say you spent the weekend celebrating lima beans? The West Cape May Annual Lima Bean Festival is one of a kind. In addition to lima beans, there’ll be entertainment, antiques, quality vendors, and a large selection of tasty food. September 8 at Wilbraham Park, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Rain date is October 9, 2011.

Celebrate the harvest at Rea’s Harvest Country Fair at Rea’s Farm in West Cape May. This working farm (once one of the largest farms in Cape May County) will welcome the public for a day of hay rides, pony rides, and games for adults and children. There will be high quality flea market dealers, antiques, and many great food vendors as well. October 15, 2011, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Rain date October 16. Rea’s Farm is at Bayshore and Stevens Streets in West Cape May.

Any or all of these events are a great excuse to head to our Cape May NJ Bed and Breakfast for a weekend.

July 13-17, 2011, are the dates of the 22nd Annual War Offshore, otherwise known as the Viking/Ocean Showdown. Rest assured, there is no danger for guests of our Cape May Bed and Breakfast. It’s the billfish that need to be wary.

Enjoy a delicious, hearty breakfast at our Cape May Bed and Breakfast before heading out to fish or watch the competition.

This event traditionally marks the start of billfishing season in Cape May. The fish most always bite during this event, but this year promises to be even better than normal. Indeed, thanks to the presence of unusually long, wide, warm Gulfstream waters, July 2011 should be one of the best starts to billfish season in years. There is a good chance that it won’t be necessary for Viking and Ocean owners to head into deep waters – the billfish may well be fairly close to shore.

Participants in the great War Offshore bring their Viking and Ocean boats, old and new, big and small. The Viking Team are the defending champions, so the Ocean Yachts Fishing Team will be striving to reel in a victory. It’s all in good fun, and it’s always a good time.

Both Ocean and Viking owners are welcome to stay at our Cape May Bed and Breakfast.

Additonal information is available at South Jersey Tournaments.

This weekend promises to be an exciting one for guests of our Cape May Bed and Breakfast. Several special events are taking place in town. There’s an antique show in nearby historic Cold Spring Village, an antique automobile show in Rotary Park, and an art show. People are pouring into our Bed and Breakfast Cape May. It’s sort of thrilling.

Read on to learn more about the events occurring in and around Cape May, NJ this weekend:

26th Annual Antique Show & Sale. Cold Spring Village fills with antique furniture, jewelry, books, collectibles, and much, much, more. It’s a lovely setting to view articles from the past. July 9 – 10, 2011.

The 47th Annual Promenade Art Show runs July 8-10, 2011. Close to 100 professional and amateur artists will be displaying their work along the beach front boardwalk and promenade. Enjoy a stroll, beautiful scenery, and fine art between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m.

If you like cool old cars, you’ll enjoy the Antique Auto Show in Rotary Park, which is a short walk from our Cape May Bed and Breakfast. It runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on July 9, 2011.

After a full day, relax on the porch of our Cape May Bed and Breakfast.

Cape May is always bustling with activity in the summertime. Folks flock here from New York City, Philadelphia, and beyond to lounge on the magnificent beaches and delight in the charming historic architecture. Cape May, New Jersey, is a true paradise for vacationers, as it has been for hundreds of years,

Guests of our Cape May NJ Bed and Breakfast will surely enjoy the following two productions at the East Lynne Theater this summer.

The cast of He and She, at the East Lynne Theater.

He and She was written by Rachel Crothers in 1920. Can “She” have a successful career in addition to being a wife and a mother? What happens if her career surpasses that of her husband? What happens if their teenage daughter wants to marry? The play engagingly examines questions that may be no easier to answer today than they were nearly a century ago.

The World of Dorothy Parker is a World Premiere of some of Dorothy Parker’s works, as adapted by Gayle Stahlhuth. Parker’s incisive wit turns on a woman awaiting a call from a man in “A Telephone Call” and an awkward conversation between newlyweds in “Here We Are”. You won’t want to miss this one.

He and She runs at the East Lynne Theater through July 23, 2011; The World of Dorothy Parker runs July 27 – September 3, 2011. See them both, and stay at our Cape May Bed and Breakfast when you do.

Reserve your tickets at the East Lynne Theater.

The 2011 Cape May Music Festival will soon be underway, filling this seacoast town with fantastic music. We still have a few openings at our Bed and Breakfast Cape May NJ during the festival, which runs May 26 through June 15, 2011.

Be spontaneous, drop everything, and travel to our Cape May Bed and Breakfast in time to see The Pride of New York on Thursday, May 26. These traditional Irish Musicians will knock your socks right off your feet.

The Pride of New York plays Cape May on May 26, 2011.

Listen to the New York Chamber Ensemble play Dvorak, Wolf, and Mozart on Tuesday, May 31.

Take a few days off in the beginning of June, and see jazz pianist George Mesherhazy and Friends on Sunday, June 5, and the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra Chamber Players on the June 7.

Bach’s Lunches will be offered at The Carriage House Tearoom & Café on Wednesdays during the Cape May Music Festival: June 1, June 8, and June 15 at 12:30 p.m. After lunching on freshly baked scones, tea sandwiches, and desserts, listen to members of the Bay-Atlantic Symphony perform favorite pieces by Bach.

You’ll have plenty of time to walk the beach and browse the shops of historic Cape May in between concerts. We have beach towels and chairs available for you use, and you’re welcome to borrow one of our bikes to tour town. As always, we invite guests to join us for afternoon “tea time” on the porch of our Cape May Bed and Breakfast, around 5 p.m.; cool off with a drink before heading to your evening concert.

Please visit the Cape May Music Festival for additional information and to purchase tickets.

June 4, 2011, is American Pride Day at Naval Air Station Wildwood, which is about 20 minutes from our Cape May Bed and Breakfast. Guests who are interested in aviation will enjoy the “100 Years of Naval Aviation & Astronaut Celebration” at NAS Wildwood Aviation Museum.

American Pride Day will honor aviators and astronauts. It will also celebrate the 100th anniversary of Naval aviation. NASA astronauts will here in Cape May to talk a bit about their work and experiences. An F-18 Hornet will fly in to the air field and visitors may meet the pilot. There will be live music, food, wine, and and an American Pride Camaro display, which is something to see.

See an F-18 Hornet Fly on June 4, 2011.

Cape May Winery and Hawk Haven Vineyard will offer wine tasting at the NAS Wildwood Centennial Celebration of June 4. The Nature Center of Cape May will be present with a display, and there will be a display by the FAA Tech Center. In short, there’ll be something for everyone (ladies, you may sip wine while your husbands ogle the planes).

You’ll be ready for a refreshing glass of wine at our Cape May Bed and Breakfast after a day on the tarmac!

The Cape May Music Festival takes over our charming Victorian town from May 26 to June 15, 2011. Shortly after the Cape May Spring Festival ends the Music Festival begins. That’s one reason we love running a Cape May Bed and Breakfast – there is always something fun to do here.

Enchanting orchestral music fills the air during the Cape May Music Festival, as does chamber music and world music. This is a delightful time to stay at our Cape May Bed and Breakfast. There are concerts every other night.

Babatunde Lea Quartet will be at the 2011 Cape May Music Festival.

Read on for highlights of the 2011 Cape May Music Festival:

• The Pride of New York (5.26). It will be hard to sit still while listening to this traditional Irish Music.
• Atlantic Brass Band (5.29). Celebrate Memorial Day Weekend with this amazing 35-piece band.
• New York Chamber Ensemble (5.31). Enjoy pieces by Mozart, Dvorak, and Wolf.
• Babatunde Lea Quartet (6.2) Don’t miss this opportunity to see one of the most esteemed percussionists of our day.
• George Mesterhazy & Friends (6.5). Jazz piano at its finest.
• New Jersey Symphony Orchestra Chamber Players (6.7). Featuring the work of Haydn, Bartok, Ravel.
• Bay-Atlantic Symphony (6.9). Rossini, Haydn, Elgar, and Bach.
• New York Chamber Ensemble (6.12). Music of England and France, featuring harpist Stacey Shames.
• New York Chamber Ensemble (6.14). The World Accordion to Schimmel, featuring the incomparable accordionist William Schimmel.

For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit the Cape May Music Festival.

It’s time to celebrate the arrival of spring, even if some days it doesn’t feel very springlike out there. Spring really is here – we know because our flowers are coming up and we have enjoyed the front porch of our Cape May NJ Bed and Breakfast more than once in the last few weeks.

Ah, spring at last!

The Cape May Spring Festival celebrates the arrival of warm weather with gusto. It explores many interesting aspects of Victorian times: spirituality, music, dance, architecture, and more. In addition to the Victorian emphasis, there are many ways to enjoy the here and now: wine tasting, dining, homes tours, murder mystery dinners, and boat tours.

A few weeks after the picture above - how wonderful to watch the garden grow.

Favorite Spring Festival events:

• Historic Haunts Combo Tour
• Victorian Spiritualism Lecture
• Seminar on Victorian Women
• Cape May’s Victorian Architecture Lecture
• Chocolate Championship Tour and Tasting (it is as decadent as it sounds)
• Winery Cellar Tour and Tasting
• Vintage Dance Workshops: learn the most popular historic dances.
• Vintage Ball: wear historic finery and sweep across the dance floor.
• Around Cape Island Boat Tour
• Spring Festival Crafts and Antiques
• Spring Festival Chefs’ Dine-Around

We still have availability at our Cape May NJ Bed and Breakfast during the Cape May Spring Festival, April 28 – May 8, 2011. Join us!

Please visit Cape May Spring Festival for additional information about events.

The 35th Annual Cape May Jazz Festival
April 8 – 10, 2011

The Cape May Jazz Festival is really quite extraordinary. It brings a great variety of outstanding jazz musicians to a picturesque seacoast town. Jazz fans easily make the drive from New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and northern New Jersey to listen to some of their favorite musicians in an idyllic setting; many stay in our welcoming Cape May Bed and Breakfast, the John F. Craig House.

Unlike many music festivals in large cities, the Cape May Jazz Festival is a relaxing and stress-free experience. Given the location of our Bed and Breakfast Cape May, it’s possible for our guests to walk to many of the festival venues. We also promise to feed you a delicious breakfast if you sleep in after a late night.

Kevin Eubanks at the Cape May Jazz Festival, April 8, 2011. Photo by Raj Naik.

Cape May Jazz Festival 2011 Highlights include:

• Kevin Eubanks
• Poncho Sanchez
• Point Blank with Gerald Chavis

Get comfortable at one venue and listen to whomever is on stage, or hop in and out of several venues over the course of an afternoon or evening. The close proximity of the venues makes wandering between them a cinch.

To learn more about the festival or to purchase tickets, please visit Cape May Jazz Festival. To reserve a room in our Cape May Bed and Breakfast, call 877-544-0314.

We’re really looking forward to two upcoming Wine and Spirits Weekends with Craig McManus: April 1 – 2 AND April 15 – 16, 2011. Boos and Booze – what could be a more perfect combination? Certainly these are two of Craig’s passions! We’re sure to have fun, but beware – we may just learn something, too.

Join us if you dare.

Craig is well qualified to guide us through two weekends of wine and spirits. In addition to being a respected psychic and medium – a gift he has been honing since his youth – he spent over 30 years working in the wine business. Craig has traveled the world in search of great wine and interesting spirits (of the otherworldly kind). He finds them both in Cape May NJ.

Cape May Wine and Spirits
April 1 and 2
April 15 and 16

The fun starts Friday evening, after you’ve had a chance to get settled in your Cape May Bed and Breakfast. Craig will host a casual meet and greet at the Mad Batter Restaurant and Bar at 8 p.m., followed by a walking tour past some of his favorite haunts in downtown Cape May.

We’ll meet again Saturday afternoon from  1-3 p.m., when we’ll tour a Cape May Winery and taste several of their wines. We’ll return to the Mad Batter at 7 p.m. for a great meal, followed by wine tasting: three white wines and three red wines from around the globe. Listen to Craig weave wine with ghosts and hauntings – it is sure to be entertaining and educational, no matter what you may or may not know about wine and the paranormal.

Participants will visit the Cape May Winery on April 2 and Natali Vineyards on April 16, 2011.

Craig will be staying at our Cape May Bed and Breakfast on April 1 and 2, 2011.

For additional information about Craig McManus and the Wine and Spirits Weekends in Cape May, please visit Craig’s website.