Make plans for autumn in Cape May County: So much to do…

From Labor Day to the holidays, Cape May County beckons with cooler days and a slower pace. It’s like summer, only better!
After Labor Day Weekend, the pace at the Jersey Cape stays lively with traditional festivities and somewhat offbeat merriment.
Celebrate the lowly lima bean in West Cape May or help Sherlock Holmes solve a mystery in Cape May.
From this point in the busy event calendar, almost every weekend fills up with harvest festivals, parades, conventions, ethnic celebrations, barbecues and other activities as varied as the fall foliage. There’s Victorian Week in Cape May, a Hydrofest Power Boat Show, a Fabulous 50’s Celebration in the Wildwoods and a Quiet Festival in Ocean City, to name just a few.
Victorian Week in Cape May, Oct. 10-19, is a 10-day celebration of the 19th Century held in America’s Oldest Seashore Resort. Relive the Victorian lifestyle and heritage in grand style with historic house tours, vintage dancing, mystery dinners, lectures, fashion shows, concerts and more.
Another favorite is Ocean City’s Indian Summer Weekend, set for Oct. 10-13, with merchants, vendors and entertainment galore, downtown on Asbury Avenue.
Not to be overlooked, the little borough of West Cape May hosts its famous Lima Bean Festival with the coronation of Miss Lima Bean and more lima bean recipes and related items that most people could ever imagine. It’s held in Wilbraham Park on Saturday, Oct. 11.
On Oct. 18, take the New Jersey Lighthouse Challenge and visit as many as 11 lighthouses from Sandy Hook to Cape May Point.
The New Jersey Audubon Society’s Autumn Weekend is slated for Oct. 24-26. With birding being the fastest-growing outdoor activity in the country, bird lovers will flock to the southernmost point in the state to witness the fall migration of hundreds of species of birds.
The Cape May Bird Observatory’s Northwood Center in Cape May Point will host the weekend of eco events including workshops and programs, field trips and a Salt Marsh Eco tour and much more.
Join Sherlock Holmes for a weekend of mystery and intrigue, Nov. 7-9 including performances, tour, luncheon and prizes. Solve the crime on the Search for Clues Tour and perhaps encounter Holmes and Watson as you enjoy your self-guided tour.
When the weekend of Nov. 15-16 comes, the City of Ocean City will pay homage to the act of being quiet. The Quiet Festival is a popular weekend for visitors to enjoy the natural sounds of the seashore because all talking will be kept to a minimum.
If a slower, more tranquil pace is right for you, greet the day with a morning walk on the boardwalk in Ocean City or pedal along the promenades in Cape May and Sea Isle City.
Spend an afternoon with flowers, birds, butterflies or books.
Well into October, the beaches are often deserted, but still shimmering in the fall sunshine, are perfect for a quiet afternoon stretched out with a best seller or a few relaxing hours soaking up the warmth of an October afternoon.
Bird watchers, amateur and serious, with binoculars in hand can head for Cape May Point where thousands of Monarch butterflies and dozens of species of birds visit the tip of New Jersey on their annual migratory flights.
Anyone feeling energetic can climb the 199 steps to the top of the Cape May Lighthouse. The panoramic view from the top is well worth the aerobic workout. The lighthouse, which dates back to 1859, is one of the oldest, continually operating lighthouses in the country.
By mid-November, when Indian Summer is over and most of the leaves have fallen from the trees, things slow down just a bit on the Jersey Cape.
Oh, did we mention how exciting the holidays are in Cape May, and the celebration begins Nov. 22-23? That’s a whole other story!
For more information about these special events call the Cape May County Department of Tourism at 800-227-2297 or visit the website at www.thejerseycape.com.