Hi folks, don’t cry, but it’s the last edition of Do the Shore magazine until we rev the machine back up next June. This last edition is all about fall festival season, known by some as the ‘locals’ summer,’ where we year-rounders are finally let off the leash to relax a bit. Check out the fall festivals in print or by clicking right here.

I’m so excited to introduce “Doowie the Shore Bird” on page 8. Our summer intern, Mariana Meriles, drew Doowie with great swimwear options. I encourage you to cut Doowie out along the perforated lines, dress them up, and tag us on Instagram @DoTheShore to earn a free bumper sticker! He’ll be back next summer with more clothing options. I love Doowie’s wife-beater this week, pit stains and all. Put down the Heineken, Doowie!

As far as articles go, we picked some of our favorite fall festivals to highlight in long form. Read about Monarch butterflies, their population decline, and a festival that celebrates these royal fall visitors on page 59.

Even if you don’t know a Porsche 911 from a 987 from a 914, read about how the Porsche Boardwalk Reunion changed Ocean City’s tourism season for the better in a story by yours truly on page 22.

Luke Grippo writes his final story of the summer, about the fierce rivalries that come with Sea Isle City’s annual scarecrow contest. That’s page 15.

I’m really excited about the monster truck feature story in this edition. Mariana Meriles chats with the “Beast of the Beach” to find out what it takes to drive these 12,000-pound vehicles. What she found is that Wildwood’s annual monster truck event is one of the best in the whole country.

Maybe you’re not here to read! If that’s the case, I’ve got you covered. I’ll rattle off some of my favorite fall events: Oktoberfest at Morey’s Piers, the Pumpkin Festival at Historic Cold Spring Village, NJ Audubon’s Fall Festival, and Rea’s Farm’s Harvest Fair. That last event is a big send-off for the growing season; come out for fresh-grown veggies and live music that is unusually well-curated.

This is the second year of our ‘reboot’ of Do the Shore magazine, with a greater focus on editorial content, photos, and paper quality. If you’re reading this, thank you! Our advertisers and readers help us keep the magazine free.

I know it’s a bit unusual to put out a free publication this large in the digital age. It takes a lot of work, a lot of time, and a lot of money to put out seven editions a year. I’m exhausted, truly, but I’m so thankful to have this platform to share what makes the shore special.

There’s so much shore content out there that feels generic, or worse, cynically made just to sell products to folks just here for a few days. Our goal with the reboot was to curate a genuine local voice, sometimes sharing opinions and articles that make readers go “what the heck did I just read?”

So yeah, thanks everyone for tuning in every two weeks. We’ll be back next summer, that’s a promise!

Until then, follow us on social media @DotheShore – and read us every week inside the Cape May County Herald, which you can grab for free every Wednesday at newsstands around the Cape!