Down the Shore

Vol. 44 - Week of July 13

July 15, 2026

Happy mid-week readers! We have another mini edition of Down the Shore, and next week we will be back to our regularly scheduled programming.

5 Things to Know This Week

  1. Eat: NJ Monthly Names Top 50 Restaurants in New Jersey. The Shore was well represented in the publication’s annual list, with local standouts including:River Pointe Inn (Rumson), Hadaka (Asbury Park), Judy & Harry's (Asbury Park), Olea (Spring Lake Heights), The Poached Pear Bistro (Point Pleasant Beach), Undici (Rumson), and Xina (Bradley Beach). We’ve checked off most of these ourselves (and agree with their selections), but The Poached Pear and Xina have officially moved to the top of our bucket list!

  2. Watch: Emmy Nominees Have Jersey Shore Connections. Widow’s Bay landed 19 Emmy nominations and was inspired by New Jersey-born showrunner Katie Dippold’s memory of a haunted house in Long Branch. The Beast in Me picked up nine nominations and was filmed in Red Bank, with pivotal scenes shot right on West Front Street and at the Molly Pitcher Inn. If you haven’t hopped on either bandwagon yet, now’s your chance before awards season.

  3. Cheer: The World Cup Final Comes to New Jersey. At the time of publication, the championship match will feature Spain taking on either England or Argentina. If you can't make it to MetLife Stadium, catch the action at one of several watch party locales, such as Street Kitchen Pub in downtown Red Bank, Bar Bella in Bell Works, or The Stone Pony in Asbury.

  4. Go: The Haskell Stakes Returns to Monmouth Park. First run in 1968, the Haskell is a prestigious Grade 1 race—the same level as the Kentucky Derby—and the centerpiece of Monmouth Park’s summer season. Put on your race-day finest, order a mint julep, and see if current favorite “Further Ado” takes home the $1 million purse this Saturday.

  5. Play: We probably tried a different playground every day of the week during our summer staycation, and one thing stood out: the beach playground is where it’s at. Sea breezes + warm sand > dead air and hot asphalt. This roundup by the Monmouth Moms (from 2025) gave us inspiration. We’d also add Asbury Park’s Beach Playgrounds and the new Marine Park in Red Bank.

Weekly Forecast

Wednesday 7/15 - 96°/74° Partly Sunny

Thursday 7/16 - 92°/71° Partly Sunny

Friday 7/17 - 84°/71° Mostly Cloudy

Saturday 7/18 - 77°/72° Rain

Sunday 7/19 - 82°/65° Partly Sunny

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

Surf Conditions

Weds 7/15

AM: Clean, 1-2 ft

PM: Clean, 1+ ft

Thurs 7/16

AM: Clean, 1 ft

PM: Clean, 1+ ft

Fri 7/17

AM: Clean, 1 ft

PM: Fair, 1 ft

Sat 7/18

AM: Choppy, 1 ft

PM: Fair, 1 ft

Farmers Market Roundup

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

Happenings Down the Shore

Here’s a shortlist of events we have our eye on this week. As always, if there’s an upcoming event you’d like us to cover, feel free to pass it along!

Wednesday 7/15

Belmar - Movies on the Beach: A Cinderella Story (Dusk)

Red Bank - An Evening with Kate Doerge, Author of Reimagining Grief, The Residency at Anderson Market (6 pm - get tix)

Thursday 7/16

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

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

Friday 7/17

Red Bank - AI Build Workshop, The Residency at Anderson Market (11:30 am - sign up here)

Oceanport - A Shore Thing Dating Show at Baseline Social (7 pm - get tix)

Saturday 7/18

Morganville - Succulent Workshop at Pleasant Valley Lavender Farm (11 am)

Ocean Grove - Summer Stroll Art Show (4 pm)

Sunday 7/19

Holmdel - Ne-Yo & Akon at PNC Bank Arts Center (8 pm - get tix)

Did we miss an event? Let us know.

Shoutout: Wishing a very happy birthday this week to one of our very first readers, Darice G.!

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