For Immediate Release:
July 23, 2010
August in Monmouth County
has plenty to offer
The challenging 16th annual Woods Hollow Mountain Bike Race will be held Aug. 7 at Tatum Park in Middletown, NJ. For more information, log onto www.monmouthcountyparks.com
FREEHOLD, NJ – Whether you like horseracing, crab cakes or movies on the beach, August has it all. Beaches, concerts, food, sports, horses, shopping, cars and other recreational opportunities populate August’s 31 days, and Monmouth County’s tourism calendar is overflowing with fun.
The calendar is the one-stop resource for activities in Monmouth County. Check it out on the Web at www.visitmonmouth.com or call 800-523-2587 to have the calendar and a packet of tourism information mailed to you. A library of brochures and other information is also available at the Department of Economic Development and Tourism office at 1 E. Main St., Freehold.
Warm summer nights are ideal for free concerts, movies on the beach, car shows, strolling the boardwalk or absorbing the delights of lively downtown destinations. If the beach is not your thing, the warm August days could find you shopping at sidewalk sales or at horse shows.
A signature local event is also an international one. The Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park on Aug. 1 is a jewel in thoroughbred racing calendar. The event draws elite horses and jockeys, more than 50,000 spectators and millions of television viewers as the top 3-year-old horses compete for a $1 million purse in a race as exciting as a Triple Crown test. Monmouth Park also hosts the Shore Chef’s Crab Cake Cook Off Aug. 21 and 22, when some of the state’s best chefs vie for top cooking kudos.
You might want to begin this month’s journey with sobering thoughts. If so, off you go to Historic Allaire Village in Allaire State Park, Wall Township, on Aug. 1 to see what happens when teetotalers meet party animals at the 1836 Temperance Rally. Sparks might fly.
Then there’s Kevin Smith. You’ll recall his movie “Clerks,” the low-budget production filmed in Monmouth County that became a cult classic and embedded Jay and Silent Bob into pop culture. Smith takes on all comers at his 40th birthday party at Red Bank’s Count Basie Theatre Aug. 2.
Want more movies? They’re free every Sunday evening on Belmar’s 8th Avenue beach and on Asbury Park’s 2nd Avenue beach on Thursdays. The Monmouth County Library System is showing classics and blockbusters in Marlboro, Manalapan, Ocean and Wall throughout the month.
Speaking of free entertainment, live music lights up Long Branch’s West End Park and the Atlantic Highlands Marina every Sunday night. Belmar’s Pyanoe Plaza on Main Street has shows every Friday night and Freehold rocks on Main Street each Thursday night outside the county’s Hall of Records.
On Aug. 5, the American Littoral Society encourages families to explore the natural wonders of Sandy Hook, one of the largest remaining marine forests on the East Coast. Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night” begins a three-day run at Spring Lake’s Divine Park that night, as does four days of Highlands’ 16th annual Clam Fest in Huddy Park.
Rides, games, live music, fireworks and mass quantities of authentic Italian food are hallmarks of the 34th annual Italian-American Festival in Ocean Township’s Joe Palaia Park, Aug. 11-15.
The athletically inclined will enjoy the 16th annual Woods Hollow Mountain Bike Race, two grueling tests over hill and dale at Tatum Park in Middletown Aug. 7. There’s a 5K race in Asbury Park Aug. 14 to benefit the Boys and Girls Club of Monmouth County, and 5K races in Bradley Beach Aug. 20-21. Interestingly, there’s an ice cream festival there on the Aug. 21.
Those who prefer a more leisurely pace might want to watch rubber duck races to benefit Historical Allaire Village Aug. 14.
The Horse Park of New Jersey has intriguing events throughout the month. Vintage car shows are in Long Branch, Freehold, Wall and Belmar. Ocean Grove, Spring Lake and Atlantic Highlands are magnets for collectibles and bargains. Ocean Grove’s Great Auditorium and Red Bank’s Count Basie Theatre brim with name entertainment.
Check the county’s Calendar of Events for details then go have some real summer fun. You can find it all at www.visitmonmouth.com.
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