The holidays are the time when family and friends get together to enjoy each other’s company, often surrounded by food, wine and laughter. There is no better place to do so than Seven Mile Beach. Both Avalon and Stone Harbor, as well as the surrounding communities, have a wide variety of restaurants that can accommodate your party, no matter what size, and each has a unique charm and atmosphere during the holidays.

The gifts denote happiness, hope and encouragement. They come both wrapped and unwrapped, dispersed from communities like Seven Mile Beach to needy families throughout Cape May County. They lift people’s lives, giving them something to eat, something to wear, a gift to open. They create a smile, a sense of excitement and inclusion in one of life’s biggest celebrations.

“What is it that you want, Mary? What do you want? You want the moon? Just say the word and I’ll throw a lasso around it and pull it down. Hey, that’s a pretty good idea. I’ll give you the moon, Mary.”

The 28th annual Historic Dennisville Christmas House Tour will be held Saturday, Dec. 16 from 4-8pm. It will feature nine homes and several historic public buildings. Sponsored by the Dennisville Historic Home Owners Association, thousands enjoy this holiday tradition that has evolved to include the entire community.

Get ready, folks. Thanksgiving weekend is fast approaching. For those who don’t know me, I come from a super-Irish family. This actually doesn’t mean anything other than we stick to tradition (string bean casserole, here we come), there are a lot of “refreshments” and we end up hugging at the end of the night.

Two years ago, a man who looked oddly familiar walked into The Whitebrier and asked if I would like to taste-test some gins from his new craft distillery. Being the open-minded imbiber that I am, I hastily agreed, and ended up in the quirky predicament of sipping room-temperature gin in the middle of the day.

It’s hard to think that the holidays are here with the incredible Endless Summer weather we have been having. We still haven’t put our beach chairs away yet! But there’s no complaining here. Who doesn’t love shopping in November while still wearing shorts and T-shirts?

November Calendar

The inaugural Fins 4 Friends surf contest was held Oct. 7, and for a first-year event it was a smashing success, raising more than $1,000 for a local charity.

If you have lived near the coast or have visited for many years, you have probably noticed the changes in water levels in our marshes. Lots of people have told me that it used to be a really big deal when the meadows were flooded because it didn’t happen very often.

Nearly everyone knew Sgt. Arthur P. Anderson. And he knew them.

Some people knew the sergeant in his role as a Stone Harbor Police Department officer for 23 years. Anyone who crossed paths with him recognized the kindness and congenial ways of the longtime Stone Harbor resident who died May 30 at the age of 87.

Terrie Cwik has devoted more than a decade to presenting history in Stone Harbor. Now she’s made some.

The Stone Harbor Museum president received a coveted honor in September when the Stone Harbor Property Owners Association named her its Outstanding Citizen.

Jason and Tadhg Campbell of Slack Tide Brewing Company are excited to announce the company’s upgrade from a three-barrel system to a 10-barrel system.

Avalon and Stone Harbor Upcoming Events

Holiday Church Services

Even when I was younger, I loved reading. Books were always a wonderful gift to me and that hasn’t changed at all. If you are looking for a book to buy the younger person in your life this season, or if you are the younger person and looking for something to read, here are some classic novels that are now available in collectible editions. They are the perfect gifts that can be passed down from generation to generation.

November is here. ’Tis the season for zealous commercialism and abundant consumption of cookies, turkey and alcoholic beverages. Wondering what to get for that special someone? A beer-themed gift will always be sure to please. But watch out for those gimmicks and knockoffs. To help, I have picked out a nice selection of affordable gifts related to beer to add to your shopping list.

Some say it’s inspired by the Thanksgiving episodes on TV’s “Friends” or the 2011 Bailey’s Irish Cream ad campaign that used the term, and maybe the idea just developed organically long before that. But clearly, once this thing called Friendsgiving hit social media a couple of years ago, it became a real thing.

’Tis the season! Time to gather with friends and family to share great meals, and great wines to go with them. The difficult part of choosing wines with big meals is trying to match so many different flavors. Sometimes it’s easiest when serving a large meal to pair wines that have lots of versatility, such as Riesling or Pinot Noir.

The Stone Harbor Property Owners Association announced Eileen Skultety as the first-place winner of the 2017 photography contest. Skultety was presented with a $500 gift certificate for her photograph of a girl and seagulls on the beach.