SEA ISLE CITY – June 14 and 15, Sea Isle City’s Division of Tourism hosted the resort’s annual Skimmer Festival Weekend, which featured a Seaside Market with 430 vendors, a food court, a sand sculpting contest and free family activities on Saturday, and Historical Guided Trolley Tours and an Antique Auto Show with over 90 vehicles on Sunday (Father’s Day). There was also live music throughout the popular two-day celebration.
Both days of Skimmer Festival were enhanced by sunny skies, cool breezes and temperatures in the mid-70’s – which was great news for the tens of thousands of people who enjoyed themselves along Sea Isle’s oceanfront Promenade and at Excursion Park, where all of the action took place.
On Saturday, after shopping for fishing gear, fashion apparel, home goods, toys and a bevy of other items at the Skimmer Seaside Market, hungry shoppers enjoyed a variety of delicacies at the festival’s Food Court before entering Excursion Park, where families were delighted to find free inflatable obstacle courses, face painters, balloon artists and a “Waxy Hand” souvenir station. Also on Saturday, festival-goers enjoyed live music by “Just in Time,” an impressive sand sculpture by Sand Pounders Professional Sand Sculpting, and a Sand Sculpting Contest, which allowed contestants to display their creativity.
The first-place winner of the Sand Sculpting Contest was Meg Hunsberger, of Limerick, PA and Sea Isle City, who was assisted by her husband, Jeff, and friends Melissa and Pat Brown, of Downingtown, PA. The second place winners were siblings Marissa, 9, and Nicholas Hess, 11, of Villas, NJ. Cousins Hunter Sgro, 11, Mikey Sgro, 14, and Sean Dodson, 9, of Pennsburg, PA, took home third place honors. Silas Crawford, 6, of Syracuse, NY, received honorable mention.
On Saturday evening, The Chatterband performed a free concert at Sea Isle’s Excursion Park Band Shell in front of huge crowd of spectators, who filled the park’s benches, lawn and perimeter viewing areas.
On Sunday morning, Skimmer Weekend continued with live music by The Snake Brothers Band and free trolley tours, led by members of the Sea Isle City Historical Society. Also on Sunday, the festival’s annual Antique Auto Show, which featured over 90 classic vehicles, delighted countless people along the Promenade. At 1:30 p.m., auto show organizer Jim Ambro and Sea Isle City Mayor Leonard Desiderio presented the Mayor’s Choice Trophy to Howard Barth, of Wildwood Crest, the owner of an eye-catching black 1957 Ford Thunderbird convertible. Moments later, a Best in Show Trophy was presented to Bill Palladino, of Sea Isle City, owner of a mint condition 1966 red Chevrolet Chavelle convertible.
After the trophies were presented to the day’s winners, the vehicles in the Antiques Auto Show paraded through town, bringing Sea Isle’s 2014 Skimmer Festival Weekend to a close.
For info about other events taking place in Sea Isle City this summer, visit www.VisitSICNJ.com.
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