Down the Shore

Wow folks, we’re hitting a milestone this week: Volume 50! Huge thanks to all of you who have joined us for the journey over the past year. When we published our first edition last September, we weren’t sure anyone would read besides our own moms. We’ve been so grateful for the response and the chance to reach so many of you (although our moms still give us great feedback). And somehow, there’s still always something new to explore in our corner of the Shore.

For instance, 3 new things we discovered this weekend:

1. Street Kitchen Pub in Red Bank has an excellent rooftop for Friday happy hour vibes. 

2. Your toddler’s first haircut doesn’t have to be a traumatizing experience if you go to A Kid’s Hair Co. in Ocean. In fact, it was quite fun! 

3. 2 pm on a Sunday isn’t a bad time to find public beach parking in Sea Bright (although we’re counting down until Sept 15 when parking becomes free…) 

On that last note, did you know that the town of Sea Bright started out as a small fishing village that Joseph Smith, the founder of the Mormon Church, visited in 1840? The village went by the name “Nauvoo” meaning “beautiful place” in Hebrew — the same name Smith’s settlement in Illinois would later take.

Sea Bright no longer has much of a Mormon connection, but at least now we know the meaning behind Nauvoo Grill Club’s name.

5 Things We Still Want to Do Before Summer Ends

As we mentioned last week, us locals get a little Jersey summer extension, but we know how fast the season moves. So we’re sharing a few things we’re still hoping to fit in before the Fall Equinox (although if we don’t get to them, there’s always next year!).

1. Have a picnic dinner in the park. You can do this in pretty much any local park and pack a bag with goodies from your farmers market. We also love the prepared foods at Semolina, Joe Leone’s, and The Blonde Shallot for picnic-basket provisions.

2. Enjoy one more frosé on the patio at Undici. Apparently it’s a Rallo family secret recipe, and one you should absolutely order before we move into red wine season. 

3. Take a stroll on the Henry Hudson Trail. Ideally, when we hit that gorgeous end-of-summer weather and aren’t on the verge of heatstroke like the last time we visited. Maybe we’ll even get lunch at One Willow. 

4. Ride the Seastreak ferry from the top deck. Ideally while the sun is setting on an evening commute from Manhattan. It’s the People’s Yacht, after all. 

5. Get Italian ice at Lighthouse — Celebrating their 50th anniversary this year, the formal name is Strollo’s Lighthouse, but we weren’t going to risk sounding like non-locals by calling it that.

We realize most of these items are food-adjacent — hey, we are who we are!

Next year, we’re also hoping to attend a movie or concert on the beach, when our daughter’s bedtime moves a tad later.

What’s on your list? Respond to this email and let us know.

Shore Points

Bell Works will be largely closed next week for a private event with limited access to the public. But those of us on the inside have heard that the new season of Severance will be filming! Time to get back to macro data refinement.

Red Bank will be getting a new café inspired by Milan’s café culture — you can learn more through the Two River Times.

The Asbury Park Convention Hall will receive a $75M tax credit to support the restoration of this Shore landmark.

Weekly Forecast

We’re definitely starting to see some of those cooler end-of-summer temps as we move toward LDW. Here’s what you can expect:

Monday 8/24 - 80°/61° Mostly Sunny

Tuesday 8/25 - 79°/62° Sunny

Wednesday 8/26 - 78°/64° Partly Sunny

Thursday 8/27 - 80°/69° Light Rain

Friday 8/28 - 76°/69° Light Rain

Saturday 8/29 - 79°/65° Partly Sunny

Sunday 8/30 - 80°/66° Scattered Thunderstorms

And for the surfers out there, here are the weekly surf conditions in Belmar courtesy of Surf Captain:

Farmers Market Roundup

• Long Branch, 8/27: West End Farmers Market

• Wall, 8/27: Wall Twp. Farmers Market

• Allenhurst, 8/28: Allenhurst Farmers Market

• Brick, 8/29: Brick Farmers Market

• Highlands, 8/29: Highlands Farmers Market

• Matawan, 8/29: Matawan Farmers & Makers Market

• Asbury Park, 8/30: Asbury FRESH Farmers & Makers Market

• Howell, 8/30: Howell NJ Farmers Market

• Point Pleasant Beach, 8/30: Point Pleasant Beach FRESH Farmers & Makers Market

• Red Bank, 8/30: The Galleria Red Bank Farmers Market

And if there are any markets we should definitely feature this season, let us know!

Happenings Down the Shore

As we approach the end of August, there are still a ton of fun summer things to do at the Shore! This week, we wanted to highlight the Asbury Park Seafood & BBQ Festival which will run from August 28 - 30 and feature great food, live music, and activities for kids.

The Fair Haven Fireman’s Fair will also kick off this week on August 28 and run through Saturday, September 5.

Our friends at Coasst also have some exciting wellness events this Friday and Saturday, including a Lunch & Learn on peptides and a class with Open Heart Yoga at the Anderson Building. Sign up here. 

As always, if there’s an upcoming event you’d like us to cover, feel free to pass it along!

Monday 8/24

Asbury Park - Stringbean & the Boardwalk Social Club at Low Dive (7 pm - live music)

Holmdel - Complimentary Intro to Pickleball Clinic with Jersey Pickleball Club at Bell Works (9:30 am)

Loch Arbor - Trivia Night at Deal Lake Bar + Co (7:30 pm)

Oceanport - Weekly Trivia at Skinny Flowers Brewing (6:30 pm)

Point Pleasant Beach - Beach Walk with Jenkinson’s Aquarium staff (6 pm)

Red Bank - Children’s Story Time on BroadWalk (10:30 am)

Tuesday 8/25

Asbury Park - Curly Jackson at Mutiny Beach (3 pm - live music)

Belmar - Music Bingo Tuesdays at Beach Haus Brewing (7 pm)

Point Pleasant Beach - Beach Bingo on the beach in front of Jenkinson’s Aquarium (6 pm)

Red Bank - Steve Delopoulos at Birravino (6 pm - live music)

Red Bank - Trivia with Jenn at Jamians (7:30 pm)

Wednesday 8/26

Asbury Park - The Rodeo Posts at Mutiny Beach (5 pm - live music)

Belmar - Movies on the Beach: What a Girl Wants (Dusk)

Bradley Beach - Summer Jazz & Blues: The Burners (7 pm - live music)

Red Bank - Kids Karate on BroadWalk (11 am)

Red Bank - Karaoke at Jamians (8 pm)

Sea Bright - Movies on the Beach: Lilo & Stitch (Dusk)

Tinton Falls - Bingo & Brews at Twin Lights Brewing (6 pm)

Thursday 8/27

Belmar - Trivia Night Thursdays + Oyster Night on the Rooftop at Beach Haus Brewing (7 pm)

Bradley Beach - Summer Yoga in the Garden at The James Bradley (6:30 pm - get tix)

Bradley Beach - Singers & Songwriters on the Beach (7 pm - live music)

Holmdel - Trivia at Fox Hollow Vineyard (6:30 pm)

Long Branch - Bingo Night at Beach Bee Meadery (3 pm)

Manasquan - Meet Me On Main on Manasquan Main Street (6 pm)

Oceanport - Music Bingo at Skinny Flowers Brewing (6 pm)

Red Bank - Conor Quigley at The Molly Pitcher Inn (6 pm - live music)

Sandy Hook - SHF Run Club at Sandy Hook (6:30 pm)

Tinton Falls - Trivia on Tap at Twin Lights Brewing (7 pm)

Friday 8/28

Asbury Park - Asbury Park Seafood & BBQ Festival at Bradley Park (in front of Convention Hall) (5 pm - learn more)

Belmar - Friday Night Concert Series: Jeff Penque (6 pm - live music)

Belmar - Patty C + Dan Apy at Beach Haus Brewing (7 pm - live music)

Fair Haven - First night of the Fair Haven Fireman’s Fair (6 pm)

Holmdel - SSV Band at Fox Hollow Vineyard (6 pm - live music)

Loch Arbor - Quincy Mumford at Deal Lake Bar + Co (5 pm - live music)

Manasquan - Mike Dalton at Harpoon Willy’s (8:30 pm - live music)

Oceanport - The Pour Boys Duo at Skinny Flowers Brewing (6 pm - live music)

Red Bank - Lunch & Learn: State of Peptides 2026 at The Residency, Anderson Market (12 pm - sign up here)

Red Bank - Barbara King at The Molly Pitcher Inn (6 pm - live music)

Red Bank - Pat Guadagno, Rich & Red at Jamians (9 pm - live music)

Saturday 8/29

Bradley Beach - Summer Yoga in the Garden at The James Bradley (7 am - get tix)

Holmdel - Rooftop Yoga at Bar Bella in Bell Works (7:30 am)

Holmdel - Wayne Bilotti - Country Duo at Fox Hollow Vineyard (2 pm - live music)

Loch Arbor - Doug Kaetz at Deal Lake Bar + Co (8 pm - live music)

Long Branch - Newport Style Clam Bake on the Beach (2 pm - get tix)

Manasquan - Big John & Lil Maria at Harpoon Willy’s (8:30 pm - live music)

Red Bank - Move with Coasst x Open Heart Yoga at Anderson Market (8 am - sign up here)

Red Bank - Sugar Dragon at Jamians (9 pm - live music)

Red Bank - Frank Rainey at The Molly Pitcher Inn (6 pm - live music)

Sandy Hook - Free Yoga on the Beach (8 am - learn more)

Sunday 8/30

Belmar - Louis Montesano on The Rooftop at Beach Haus Brewing (3 pm - live music)

Holmdel - Tommy B & the Deep Blue Sea Band at Fox Hollow Vineyard (2 pm - live music)

Loch Arbor - Brothers Morrisy Trio at Deal Lake Bar + Co (5 pm - live music)

Long Branch - Yappy Hour! at Beach Bee Meadery (3 pm)

On Deck

September 3: Belmar - Mike Francesa Live Podcast Show at Bar A (12 pm - learn more)

September 20: Oceanport - The Expecting Mom Social at The Bunny Hive Fort Monmouth (10 am and 2 pm - get tix)

Did we miss an event? Let us know.

Thanks for reading and if someone forwarded this to you, please subscribe via the link below. See you next week!