Businesses Encouraged to Decorate Storefront in Honor of Coast Guard

CAPE MAY — Cape May County businesses are encouraged to decorate their storefronts and fly U.S. Coast Guard flags in honor of the Coast Guard Community Designation and Festival taking place Fri., May 8 through Sun., May 10.
Cape May County businesses can show their support with splashes of red, white and blue on their doors, windows and store faces. Businesses throughout the county are also encouraged to pay tribute to the U.S. Coast Guard with patriotic displays and high-flying U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. flags.
“Such displays of support and honor by area businesses will convey the true ‘community’ spirit of this event and designation,” said Vicki Clark, president of the Cape May County Chamber of Commerce.
Cape May County will celebrate its designation as a ‘Coast Guard Community’ during a Proclamation Ceremony to be held Fri., May 8 at 5:30 p.m. at the U.S. Coast Guard Training Center Cape May (“TRACEN”), 1 Munro Avenue, Cape May.
Coast Guard Commandant, Adm. Paul Zukunft, will officially present the proclamation to the Cape May County Board of Chosen Freeholders and Mayors from the county’s sixteen municipalities. Cape May County is one of only two counties and fifteen cities in the nation to be designated a ‘Coast Guard Community.’ This designation was sought by the community through a rigorous application process, and was awarded after approval from the Coast Guard and United States Congress.
Cape May County’s designation as a Coast Guard Community reflects the deep and enduring nature of the relationships that the region’s residents share with Coast Guard personnel, families, and visitors.
The Proclamation Ceremony kicks off a three-day festival spanning from Fri., May 8, to Sun., May 10, which will honor Coast Guard personnel and their families, as well as celebrate and educate regarding the many deep connections that exist between the Coast Guard and Cape May County.
On Sat., the festival will include live music, tours aboard Coast Guard vessels, extensive historical and cultural exhibits, children’s activities, and a BBQ with brews from Cape May Brewery. At Sat. evening Community Connections Mixer held at Cape May Convention Hall, attendees can enjoy a concert, taste local products, or watch a movie on the beach. On Sun., a Mother’s Day Kegs n’ Eggs Brunch, plus outdoor interactive marine exhibits, kid’s activities, and floral displays on the grounds of the Cape May-Lewes Ferry will wrap up this fun-filled three-day festival.
The public is enthusiastically invited to attend all events. Events will be offered without an admission charge, unless a ticketing requirement is noted.
For more information about the Coast Guard Community Festival, visit coastguardcommunity.org or call Nina Ranalli, Coast Guard Community Festival Director at (609) 425-7650.