Down the Shore

🕯️Local Business Spotlight: Bougiefire

As we prepare for winter hibernation, what better way to light up the darker nights than with a custom crafted candle for your home? New to downtown Red Bank, Bougiefire is a candle-making bar and French-inspired boutique. Choose from a variety of scents, pick a vessel and shimmery color for the soy wax base, and top off with some sparkles or gold leaf. It’s a perfect best-friend, date, or a mother-daughter night out activity. 

You may be more familiar with it as the slang term for fancy, but “bougie” actually means “candle” in French. You’ll still feel pretty luxe walking out with your own unique scent; we made a winter-on-the-shore inspired “Snow on the Beach” with pine, bergamot, and sel de mer. 

Psst - they have a Small Business Saturday event on 11/29 from 1-9 where you’ll get a complementary glass of champagne for Sip and Shop!

🦃 Thanksgiving Cocktail Recipe

Since Thanksgiving is this week, we wanted to share a cocktail (and mocktail) recipe for you to impress your guests. Kick off Appy Hour with a Cider Spritz!

To craft this drink you’ll need:

• 2 oz of apple cider, chilled (we’ll be using cider from Delicious Orchards)

• 3 oz of Prosecco (to make it a mocktail, you can use an NA prosecco — we recommend Good Twin which we’ve found at Whole Foods)

• Splash of club soda or seltzer water

• Ice cubes

• An apple slice and/or cinnamon stick for garnish

Serve in a wine glass and enjoy!

🗓️ Important Events this Week: 

Small Business Saturday (11/29): Reminder there are tons of opportunities to shop local for holiday gifts. Some of our favorite downtowns to explore are: Spring Lake, Manasquan, Red Bank, Fair Haven (SBS trolley rides!), and Asbury Park (their Bazaar starts in the Conventional Hall on 11/28).

Spring Lake Christmas Train Village (starts 11/29) - The holidays are right on track when these locomotives make their appearance, weaving their way through a toy-sized replica of the town itself. It’s a great activity if you have little ones or family visiting, as it’s donation-based and you can stay as short or as long as you’d like. 

While in town, check out Sun & Waves All Day Kitchen, Driftwood Coffee House, Nick + Sons Bakery, Terra Earth+Surf, Thunder Road Books, and Spring Lake Seafood.

🎄 Christmas Tree Lighting Roundup

Drumroll please! Gather round and count down in the following towns for their annual tree lightings. Little full, lotta sap. 

• Red Bank 11/28

• Long Branch 11/30

• Belmar 12/4

• Fair Haven 12/5 (Tree Lighting and Holiday Stroll)

• Manasquan 12/5 (Tree Lighting and Candy Cane Hunt)

• Sea Girt 12/5

• Asbury Park 12/6

• Ocean Grove 12/6

• Brielle 12/6

• Rumson 12/7

🌤️ Weekend Forecast

☀️🦃 Thursday 11/27 - 44°/34° Sunny

☀️ Friday 11/28 - 41°/33° Sunny

☀️ Saturday 11/29 - 41°/33° Sunny

🌤️ Sunday 11/30 - 50°/37° Partly Sunny

👋 Helping Hand

This week’s spotlight is the United Way of Monmouth and Ocean Counties and their annual coat drive. As temperatures drop, the United Way is distributing coats to local pre-school, elementary, and middle school-aged students who are in need. To help out, you can either donate a new coat or donate to the United Way staff.

🎁 Holiday Market Roundup

This week, we’re swapping in holiday markets for our usual farmers market roundup!

• BellWorks Holiday Markets in Holmdel (Saturday and Sunday)

• Asbury Park Bazaar in Asbury Park (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday)

If we are missing any other holiday markets, let us know!

🎷 Live Music Roundup

Friday 11/28

Brielle - Mike Dalton at The Pig & Parrot (8:30 pm)

Belmar - The Counterfeiter$ at Marina Grill (8 pm)

Holmdel - The River Duo at Fox Hollow Vineyard (6 pm)

Manasquan - Rhyme & Reason at Harpoon Willy’s (8:30 pm)

Red Bank - The Haven at Jamian’s (9 pm)

Red Bank - Amanda Greatorex at Triumph Brewery (8:30 pm)

Saturday 11/29

Belmar - Eddie Testa Band at Marina Grill (8 pm)*

Brielle - Skinny Amigo at The Pig & Parrot (8:30 pm)

Holmdel - Marin Contini Duo at Fox Hollow Vineyard (2 pm)

Manasquan - Salt Brothers at Harpoon Willy’s (8:30 pm)

Red Bank - John Kasun at Coffee Corral (10 am)

Red Bank - The Cliffs at Jamian’s (9 pm)

Red Bank - Cranston Dean at Triumph Brewery (8:30 pm)

Sunday 11/30

Holmdel - Jay Soltys at Fox Hollow Vineyard (2 pm)*=

Red Bank - Jo Wymer at Coffee Corral (10 am)

Red Bank - Alex Own Trio at Triumph Brewery (1 pm)

Did we miss a show? Let us know.