Cape May’s 16th Annual Spring Festival Tours and Activities Continue for a Second Weekend

CAPE MAY – Spring may have sprung, but there is still time to enjoy Cape May’s 16th annual Spring Festival, co-sponsored by the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts & Humanities (MAC) and the Chamber of Commerce of Greater Cape May, during its second weekend of events from Friday, May 6 through Sunday, May 8. From tours that take you on a journey through Cape May’s history to dinners with a murder mystery, there is something for everyone during Cape May’s 16th annual Spring Festival.
Visit the famous Mad Batter restaurant, 19 Jackson St., for their Wine Dinner “Out of the Ordinary.” On Friday, May 6, get a taste of spring in their five course seasonal menu paired with some fresh and interesting alternatives to the standard varietals. Dinner is at 7:30 p.m., admission is $75 per person and seating is limited to 60.
The scene is set for Spring Festival’s Murder Mystery Dinners and Luncheons and murder is on the menu. Friends, relatives, rich political contributors and even uninvited guests are attending the inaugural celebration for Jacob Thurman, the newly elected Mayor of the seashore town. Will they all chant, “long live the mayor”, or will they let family disagreement, political rivalry, social ambition, or past offenses poison the festive gathering? There is a killer among them and when someone drops dead, suspicion runs wild. Will this mystery be too much for the sheriff to sink his teeth into? Will it be a piece of cake for you to solve? Join the Impromptu Players at the Inn of Cape May, 7 Ocean St., interact with the cast of likely suspects and try to solve the mystery, “One Tough Cookie”, as you enjoy a three-course dinner or luncheon. Dinners are offered on Saturday, May 7 and Sunday, May 8 at 7 p.m. A Luncheon is offered on Sunday, May 8 at 1 p.m. Dinner admission is $45 and Luncheon admission is $30.
Keith Bader from Lauber Imports shares his knowledge of the world of wine as you learn how to get your wine cellar ready for summer during the Cape May Wine School class, “Summer Sippers” at the Washington Inn, 801 Washington St. Taste, sip and swirl fine wines and increase your knowledge of pairings. During the class on Sunday, May 1 at 1 p.m. Admission is $30 per person.
Spend a spring afternoon at the award-winning Cape May Winery, 711 Town Bank Rd. Tour the vineyard to see how the grapes are grown and then visit the winery where you’ll be introduced to the winemaker’s art. Savor a barrel tasting accompanied by cheese and fruit. Admission is $20 and includes a complimentary souvenir tasting glass. A Winery Cellar Tour & Tasting is offered on Saturday, May 7 at 3 p.m.
Explore Cape May County’s wineries at your own pace during the new Self-guided Wine Trail offered daily from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. On Friday, May 6 and Saturday, May 7, visit Natali Vineyards, Hawk Haven Vineyard & Winery, and Turdo Vineyards and taste wines at each for $10. On Sunday, May 8 tour Natali Vineyards and Hawk Haven Vineyard & Winery for $8. Admission includes a map with the wineries listed and a complimentary tasting glass.
Experience drama and theater without the stage through Actors Offstage, Cape May’s newest theatrical troupe, as they take over Cape May’s Spring Festival
Last year’s popular Murder at the Physick Estate series returns for 2011 with “Finding Faith,” a new Actors Offstage production written and directed by Ray Crew. When Faith talks about life in the 1890’s, it’s as if she actually experienced it herself. But no one knows much about her. She just sort of appeared one day a few years back. Who is this mysterious woman? Where did she come from? You’ll meet her when you walk through the doors of the Physick Estate and watch as the questions about Faith multiply in this mystery comedy. And though you might think you are watching a play about something that happened 120 years ago, you’ll soon discover that the boundaries between fantasy, reality, the past and the present have broken down …and life for Faith…and you… will never be the same. Afterwards, meet your evening’s performers over coffee and dessert in the Carriage House Tearoom & Café. Performances take place at the Emlen Physick Estate, 1048 Washington St., on Friday, May 6 and Saturday, May 7 at 6:45 p.m.
Follow an Actor Offstage and board a MAC trolley for the Ghosts of Cape May Trolley Tour, a 45-minute evening ride through the haunted streets of Cape May. The paranormal findings of ghost writer Craig McManus come alive as your guide translates McManus’ spooky stories. Ride past the flickering gas street lamps, the haunted properties of Cape May and experience the spine-tingling tales unearthed by McManus and told by an Actor Offstage. Admission is $10 for adults and $7 for children (ages 3-12). Tours are offered on Friday, May 6 at 8:45 p.m. and Saturday, May 7 at 8:15 p.m. and 9 p.m.
The 1859 Cape May Lighthouse is one of the oldest continually operating lighthouses in the United States and has beckoned to navigators from the mouth of the Delaware Bay for more than 150 years. This historic beacon is known for guiding sailors to safety, but psychic medium and paranormal investigator Craig McManus has experienced the lighthouse in a much different way. Once the sun has set, join the Actors Offstage aboard a MAC trolley and dare to take an evening tour down the ghostly path that leads to the Cape May Lighthouse. You’ll hear and experience McManus’ paranormal findings related by an Actor Offstage during your journey. Once you reach your destination, you’ll feel the presence of the spirits at the Light. Do you have what it takes to climb 199 spirited stairs to the top? Whether you choose to climb or stay below you’ll surely enjoy a ghostly experience. The Ghosts of the Lighthouse Trolley Tour is offered on Saturday, May 7 at 8 p.m. and is $20 for adults and $15 for children (ages 3-12).
Get into the “spirit” of spring on the Historic Haunts Combo Tour. First, you’ll board a MAC trolley and take an evening ride past some of Cape May’s regal Victorian residences, reputed to host more than the living. Afterwards, visit Cape May’s original haunted house, the 1879 Emlen Physick Estate, for a discussion of Victorian spiritualism and learn about Victorian’s fascination with the “other side.” Tours are offered on Friday, May 6 and Saturday, May 7 at 7:15 p.m. Admission is $20 for adults and $15 for children (ages 3-12). The Historic Haunts House Tour portion of the tour, which is a guided tour the historic (some say haunted) Emlen Physick Estate at 1048 Washington St., can be purchased separately from the Combo Tour. The Historic Haunts House Tour is limited and is offered on Friday, May 6 and Saturday, May 7 at 7:45 p.m. Admission is $10 for adults and $7 for children (ages 3-12).
A National Historic Landmark City and one of “America’s 20 Prettiest Towns,” Cape May, is the perfect place to step back in time, to an era of formal parlors and calling cards, and explore magnificent Victorian architecture. Get exclusive access to Cape May’s finest private residences on the Spring Festival Private Homes Tour on Saturday, May 7 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Go behind the doors of homes, ranging from the Victorian era to the 21st century, not normally open to the public. Admission is $15 for adults and $10 for children (ages 3-12).
A beautiful private home situated on one of Cape May’s oldest residential streets, the 1849 Cherry House built in the Federal style, is open for tours on Saturday, May 7 and Sunday, May 8 at 2 p.m. Owners Frank and Beth Acker welcome visitors to their historic home filled with cherished family mementos, antiques, and country décor. Hand-painted murals in several rooms reflect the home’s seashore heritage. Tickets cost $10 per person ($8 for children ages 3-12) and are available at the Washington Street Mall Information Booth, Washington and Ocean streets.
Every year, Cape May’s Spring Festival launches the new Physick Estate tour theme. For 2011, visitors will discover “Victorian Health and Fitness” on a tour of the Estate. We tend to think of the Victorians as out-of-shape-pudges, but they were the first generation to consider exercise and sport necessary for health. Baseball, lawn tennis, football, bicycling, badminton, weight training and ocean bathing were all Victorian introductions. Health food, medicine as a modern profession, nursing, public health and patent medicine were all Victorian developments. Hear about a different facet of “Victorian Health and Fitness” in each room of the Estate on a guided tour. Tours are offered on Friday, May 6 at 11:45 a.m., 1 p.m. and 2 p.m., on Saturday, May 7 at 11:15 a.m., 11:45 a.m., 12:15 p.m., 1 p.m., 1:30 p.m., 2:15 p.m. and 3:30 p.m., and on Sunday, May 8 at 11:45 a.m. 1 p.m., 2:15 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for children (ages-3-12). Tours can also be combined with a guided trolley tour of Cape May’s Historic District. Meet with the good doctor, Dr. Emlen Physick himself, when “The Dr. is In” on Saturday, May 7 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the grounds of the Estate.
South Cape May was founded in 1894 and disappeared by the 1950s with all of its homes either destroyed by storms or physically moved to other locations. In its heyday, the town of South Cape May had more than 40 homes and hundreds of summer residents. One of the town’s last residents, Joseph Bucher chronicled life in this seaside town before it was swallowed by the Atlantic in the book “Remembering South Cape May: The Jersey Shore Town That Vanished Into the Sea,” co-authored by Bucher’s son-in-law Robert Kenselaar. The Carriage House Gallery located on the grounds of the Emlen Physick Estate, 1048 Washington St., is proud to host the “Remembering South Cape May” exhibit, with guest curator Robert Kenselaar. The exhibit examines the rise and fall of the community that once stood west of Cape May’s beachfront on land that today is the Nature Conservancy’s Cape May Migratory Bird Refuge. The exhibit opens on Friday, April 29 and will be open daily through Nov. 6 (gallery hours vary) and admission is free. During the second weekend of Cape May’s Spring Festival the gallery will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and from 6:15 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. on Friday, May 6 and Saturday, May 7, and from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, May 8. This exhibit was made possible by a grant from the New Jersey Council for the Humanities, a state partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations in this exhibition do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities or the New Jersey Council for the Humanities.
Hunt for unique hand-made crafts and one-of-a-kind antiques at the Spring Festival Crafts & Antiques Show on Saturday, May 7 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Emlen Physick Estate, 1048 Washington St., becomes an outdoor marketplace as vendors from throughout the Northeast display their wares. Free admission.
Celebrate Cape May’s unique history as local experts and educators bring the fascinating seaside town to life during “A Victorian Primer in Cape May,” a series of informative lectures, programs and seminars at the Inn of Cape May, 7 Ocean St. The final program of the series, “John Philip Sousa,” will be held on Friday, May 6 at 9:45 a.m. Admission is $10.
The Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts & Humanities (MAC) is a multifaceted not-for-profit organization committed to promoting the preservation, interpretation, and cultural enrichment of the Cape May region for its residents and visitors. MAC membership is open to all. For information about MAC’s year-round schedule of tours, festivals, and special events, call 609-884-5404 or 800-275-4278, or visit MAC’s Web site at www.capemaymac.org. For information about restaurants, accommodations and shopping, call the Chamber of Commerce of Greater Cape May at 609-884-5508.