Don’t Be a Turkey! Seven Mile Beach is the Place to Be for Thanksgiving Weekend
Santa at Avalon’s Tree Lighting during Festive Friday
Get ready for an epic Thanksgiving weekend on Seven Mile Beach, friends! Complete with twinkling lights, several chances to visit with Santa, great shopping deals throughout Avalon and Stone Harbor, and endless fun for the entire family, this is one weekend you don’t want to be anywhere else.
Stuff your face with your favorite Thanksgiving Day dishes and indulge in that extra slice of pumpkin pie – Thanksgiving calories don’t count when you are burning them off the next day by running or walking in the annual Turkey Trot to benefit the Helen L. Diller Vacation Home for Blind Children. Kick off Festive Friday in Avalon with a scenic 5-kilometer run or the 1.5K walk. Bib pickup and day-of registration begins at 8am at Avalon Community Hall and the race starts at 10am. You can dress your family in festive outfits to compete for a prize for best team or individual costume. Your support helps the Diller Home’s mission of providing blind and visually impaired children with an all-expense-paid week of summer camp. Register online at dillerblindhome.org.
After your feel-good morning, downtown Avalon transforms into a winter wonderland as Festive Friday offers more than 40 activities from 11am-4pm. Families will enjoy character meet-and-greets, face painters, balloons, glitter tattoos, and more. Pose for holiday pictures and check out the ice sculptor as he creates a custom Avalon ice piece right before your eyes. Stop by the cozy stations to enjoy live holiday music, and take advantage of all the discounts and complimentary refreshments as you pop in and out of the open businesses. All the fun leads up to Santa’s grand arrival at 5pm for the annual Tree Lighting Ceremony. With special help from the Avalon Volunteer Fire Department, Santa and Mayor John McCorristin will light the Christmas tree to officially welcome the holiday season in Avalon. Also, the Avalon Recreation Department and The Avalon Free Public Library will host a Christmas Movie at Community Hall! Enjoy a showing of “The Polar Express” at 6:30pm Friday night. A full activity lineup is available on page 42-43 in this issue or go to visitavalonnj.com.
Stone Harbor kicks off its annual Island Holiday on Friday and offers a two-day cheerful event that leads up to its timeless Christmas Parade on Saturday night. Friday’s events include the popular Holiday Market at the 95th Street Water Tower, classic carousel rides the entire family will enjoy, and “A Christmas Story” Scavenger Hunt starting at the Chamber of Commerce stand. Furry friends are invited to participate in the annual Pet Parade at 1pm on Friday and attendees will enjoy the Turning Pointe Dance Studio performance in front of the Harbor Square Theatre just before the pet parade. Stop by the Women’s Civic Club to browse several beautifully decorated trees at the Festival of Trees on Friday and Saturday. Save some energy to sip and shop your way through town during Merchants Hospitality Night featuring complimentary sips and snacks throughout the small business community, and don’t miss the Friday night tree lighting with Mayor Judith Davies-Dunhour.
As Friday’s festivities end, be sure to get a good night’s rest because a second day of holiday cheer is in store for the entire family to enjoy together.
Saturday’s fun in Stone Harbor starts with the Downtown Holiday Dash 5K at 9am. After the race, families can enjoy a second day of the holiday market, carousel rides, and festive fun from 11am-4pm, all leading up to Stone Harbor’s Christmas Parade that starts at 6:30pm. Sponsored by the Borough of Stone Harbor, the parade features fire trucks, community organizations, floats and more decked to the nines to welcome the start of the holiday season.
Avalon’s Snowfest Saturday runs 11am-4pm with rides, slides, games, and bounce houses. The Corner Boys will play holiday hits all day long, and you can sit back and unwind at the cozy stations. Santa will be on hand for family photos and families will be able to take advantage of Shop Small discounts throughout the business district.
What a way to kick off the holidays on Seven Mile Beach! If you haven’t experienced a Thanksgiving at the shore, what are you waiting for? It’s been described as straight out of a Hallmark Christmas movie. Come see for yourself!
