For Immediate Release:
July 31, 2012
Enjoy a relaxing August in Monmouth County
The best of summer is on its way
FREEHOLD, NJ – Warm summer nights under the stars, with music flowing and movies showing is the highlight of August in Monmouth County. After all the festivals, fairs and celebrations in the early summer, August is a great month to wind down and take pleasure in the simple joys of life.
Summer on the New Jersey shore means warm weather, good music, award-winning theatre and weekly farm markets filled with Jersey Fresh produce.
Free, outdoor summer music series are widespread this month as local artists showcase their talent and get you movin’! Start off the week on Sunday in Long Branch for jazz and blues in West End Park. On Wednesdays, visit the Gateway National Recreation Area in Sandy Hook for music on the beach or Downtown Freehold for the popular Freehold Idol.
Every other Thursday, Middletown holds a concert series on the Croydon Hall lawn, Downtown Freehold host’s “Thursdays Rock” in front of the Hall of Records and Long Branch has “Thursdays by the Sea”. Visit the Pyanoe Plaza in Belmar on Fridays for a variety of artists performing music from almost every genre. And last but not least, “Songwriters in the Park” takes place weekly in Riverside Gardens Park in Red Bank, as does “Jazz in the Park”.
August is a great month to get together with family and friends and watch a moonlit movie. There are showings every Sunday in Belmar, every Monday through Aug. 13 in Manasquan and every Tuesday night on the beach in Sea Bright. You can also catch an outdoor movie this month in Ocean Township, Asbury Park, Manalapan, Tinton Falls, Howell, Marlboro, Neptune, Hazlet, Eatontown, Middletown, Fair Haven, Matawan, Holmdel, Keyport and Red Bank. For specific dates, times, and movie showings, visit www.visitmonmouth.com and click on the Tourism tab to find the Calendar of Events.
Although everyone loves a local band, several big name musical acts headline venues throughout the county in August, too. Here’s just a sample: at the Great Auditorium in Ocean Grove on Aug. 4, the Golden Boys, comprised of Frankie Avalon, Bobby Rydell & Fabian will take you back in time; Monmouth University will feature Jackson Browne on Aug. 5 and Train on Aug. 30; the Count Basie Theatre will showcase Boston on Aug. 29 and Kellie Pickler on Aug. 12.
As always, there is plenty of theatre too. Menopause The Musical will keep you laughing at Count Basie on Aug. 26. Oliver!, a play celebrating Charles Dickens’ 200th birthday, is at the Algonquin Arts Theatre in Manasquan from Aug. 3 – 12. The Musical Adventures of Horatio Wolf and Little Red is at the Center Playhouse in Freehold from Aug. 11- 19, and for some musical-theatre, the Midtown Men featuring four stars from the original cast of Jersey Boys will be at the Paramount Theatre in Asbury Park on Aug. 18.
Weekly farm markets stocked with fresh Jersey corn, tomatoes and other yummy produce are a great place to pick up summer food favorites. Visit Manasquan on Thursdays, Atlantic Highlands and Downtown Freehold on Fridays and Belmar on Saturdays for all your fresh summer produce needs.
A few of summer’s most famed events are also held this month. Atlantic Highland’s Annual Clamfest runs from Aug. 2 – 5 in Huddy Park; the 38th Annual Ocean Township Italian Festival is Aug. 8 – 12 at Joe Palaia Park and the Keyport Spanish American Festival is Aug. 11 at Beach Park.
The Annual Clearwater Festival, the largest running eco-festival in New Jeresey, is in Asbury Park at Sunset Park on Aug. 18. On Aug. 18 and 19, the Shore Chef’s Crab Cake Cook-Off is at Monmouth Park Racetrack.
Manasquan’s Lighted Boat Parade is on Aug. 21 on the inlet; the West End Classic Car Cruise Night 2, featuring Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes is Aug. 18 on Brighton Avenue; and on Aug. 25, visit the Long Branch Boardwalk for a Jazz and Blues Festival.
You can find more detailed information at www.visitmonmouth.com. Click on the Tourism tab to find the Calendar of Events, Monmouth County Tourism’s comprehensive source for all such things. You can also call 800-523-2587 to have a packet of information mailed to you, or stop by the office at 1 E. Main St., Freehold, between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. weekdays to browse the extensive literature. The calendar is updated every day, so it’s the best source for current information.
The next time you are logged in to Facebook, be sure to “like” the Monmouth County Tourism page. And if you use Twitter follow us there, too.
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