The Sara the Turtle Festival is an annual event sponsored by the Sea Isle City Community Services Department—Division of Tourism, to help create environmentalism and awareness of the plight of diamondback terrapins.
With numerous terrapins being killed every year while trying to cross the road, Sea Isle is one of the South Jersey communities that has taken an initiative to create awareness of this problem, and help save the terrapins from extinction.
This year the festival will take place on June 23, from 6-8 p.m. at JFK Boulevard and The Promenade. The rain date for the event will be June 25.
The festival will feature wildlife exhibits from a variety of local conservation groups and many activities for children, including face painting, strolling entertainers, and a live musical turtle show.
The Wetlands Institute will be participating this year by bringing live terrapins for festival-goers to touch, as well as their turtle mascot, “Scute.”
Other participating organizations will be The Marine Mammal Stranding Center, Cape May County Zoo, and Sea Isle City’s Environmental Commission and Beachcomber Guided Tours, which give out free turtle stickers and coloring books (while supplies last) to children participating in the festival.
Live reptiles, such as scorpions, a screech owl, and a python, will also be able to be handled, courtesy of Steve Serwatka, from New Jersey Nature.
There will be competitions during the festival as well, one of which is the Diaper Derby where babies crawl and race to the finish line of awaiting parents.
There will also be the Turtle Races on the beach for children of multiple age groups.
For more information about the event, please contact the Sea Isle City Tourism Department at 609-263-8687.
Cape May – Governor Murphy says he doesn't know anything about the drones and doesn't know what they are doing but he does know that they are not dangerous. Does anyone feel better now?
