Italian Fest, Columbus Day Parade, Irish Festival, Wind Turbine Protests All This Weekend

‘Shamrocks by the Sea’ Irish Festival, Seaside Park, N.J., Sept. 24, 2022. (Photo: Daniel Nee)

Though the forecast may not be stellar – at least until Sunday – numerous events are planned this weekend in the Shore area.

Irish Festival:

The Irish Festival in Seaside Park goes to support the annual Ocean County St. Patrick’s Day Parade. It was originally scheduled for last month, but was rained out.

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The 6th Annual Shamrocks by the Sea Irish Festival will be held Oct. 7 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the park area of the J Street Marina in Seaside Park. There will be Irish music, vendors, food and a beer garden.

Italian Festival:

The Italian Festival runs all weekend.

The three-day event begins this Friday, Oct. 6, at 4 p.m. and lasts to 10 p.m. It picks up Saturday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.The festival, held on Grant Avenue between Ocean Terrace and Central Avenue, features vendors, plenty of Italian food, music and more.

Lucky Leo’s amusement arcade will host a VIP party from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., where customers are eligible to receive promotional gifts, prizes and free play when they load a $20 players’ card for games, plus a complimentary buffet at 12 noon. There will be face painting for kids, and the grand prize of a pizza oven will by drawn at 3 p.m.

Columbus Day Parade:

The parade kicks off Sunday, Oct. 8, 2023, at 1 p.m. on the Boulevard and will features floats, bands, antique cars and plenty of local groups celebrating Italian-American heritage.

This year will mark the 32nd parade and festival. Grant Avenue, and portions of Ocean Terrace, as well as the Boulevard during parade hours, will be closed to traffic and parking. Municipal parking fees remain in effect through Oct. 31, however there are free options.

Wind Turbine Protest:

Sponsored by the Ocean County Federation of Republican Women, U.S. Rep. Chris Smith is scheduled to speak at a rally calling for a moratorium on offshore wind turbine development until studies can be conducted on the effects of the development on marine life.

The local rally featuring Smith – another featuring U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew is set for South Jersey –  will be held near Jenkinson’s Aquarium on the boardwalk in Point Pleasant Beach. The rally is slated to begin at 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 7 and will include, as speakers, local environmentalists and Point Pleasant Beach Mayor Paul Kanitra, who is running on the Republican ticket to represent northern Ocean County in the state General Assembly.