Together With Our Friends At

Good morning, Monmouth County! Happy Memorial Day Eve! We gave you a few parades around the county to check out but stopped short of listing them all. Figured that was excessive. We didn’t plan for this issue to be so big on food, but it kinda turned out that way and we’re not sorry. Asbury Park Convention Hall is absolutely on fire with new food options and we’re pretty stoked about it.

TODAY’S BUZZ 🐝 

 🔥 Asbury Park Convention Hall is on Fire with New Eats 🔥 

👩‍🎨 Winners of the 2025 Congressional District Art Competition

 🇺🇸 Memorial Day Parades

🥩 Mezcal Mexican Steakhouse

📚️ History

⚾️ Sports & Fitness

🎭️ Cinema

🎸 Live Music

🌊 Ocean Temp/Tides

📰 NEWS

We’re making it a point to stay out of politics. And since this isn’t so much political as it is politics-adjacent, it passes our very stringent criteria.

Congressman Chris Smith (R-Manchester) announced the winners of the 2025 Fourth Congressional District Art Competition on Friday 5/2 at Ocean University Medical Center (Brick). Six of the ten winners were from Wall High School alone under the direction of art teacher Jill Alexander! Pretty amazing accomplishment for Ms. Alexander and her students. But on top of that, the Best-in-Show winner Marisa Amitie, graduating senior at Wall High School, will have her winning artwork “Beloved” on display at the U.S. Capitol complex for the next year. Well done, Marisa!

More info on the Art Competition winners and to view their artwork virtually here.

🎉 FAMILY FUN

Play & Swim | 5/29  10 am - 11:30 am | Five Star Swim School (Eatontown)

Butterflies Storytime & Crafts | 5/27 10 am | Monmouth Museum (Lincroft)

Tissue Paper Plate Turtle | 5/27  4 pm - 4:45 pm | Hazlet Library (Hazlet)

Tween STEAM | 5/27 4:15 pm - 4:50 pm | Manalapan Library (Manalapan)

Adventures in STEAM | 5/28 4 pm - 4:30 pm | Howell Library (Howell)

Yoga with Miss Kim | 5/28  4 pm - 4:45 pm | Ocean Library (Ocean)

After School Adventures: STEAM | 5/29  3:45 pm - 4:15 pm | Shrewsbury Library  (Shrewsbury)

Adventures in STEAM | 5/29 4:15 pm - 4:45 | Manalapan Library Manalapan

Main St. Blues & Cruise Car Show | 5/28  6 pm - 9 pm | Main St. (Matawan)

Spring Skateboarding Lessons | 5/27  4 pm - 6 pm | Skate Park at Kunkel Park (Leonardo)

Mother Son Western Hoedown | 5/29  5:30 pm - 8 pm | Poricy Park (Red Bank)

🏠️ LOCAL EVENTS

Memorial Day Parade | 5/26 10:00 am | Main St. (Freehold)

Memorial Day Parade | 5/26 2 pm - 3 pm | 15 Main St. (Englishtown)

Memorial Day Parade | 5/26  10:30 am - 12:00 pm | Main St. (Manasquan)

Memorial Day Parade and Main St. Market | 5/26  11 am - 2 pm | Main St. (Farmingdale)

Coffee with a Veteran | 5/28  10 am - 11 am | Town Hall (Manalapan)

Elder Scam Prevention Presentation | May 29  1 pm - 2 pm | West Park Rec Center (Ocean)

Free Adult Dance Lessons | 5/27  6:45 pm - 7:30 pm | Arthur Murray Dance Centers (Manalapan)

🍔🍹 FOOD & DRINK

New and New-ish Spots!

MEZCAL (Old Bridge)

To say this new high end spot is getting a lot of BUZZ would be an understatement. The food, the vibe, and the overall experience are game-changing. Critics are likening it to more of a Vegas experience from the top shelf food and cocktails to the aesthetic. This one is not to be missed. Plan ahead though. They’re booking reservations a couple months out already. Or you can roll the dice with first come first served bar seating.

OUTBACK STEAKHOUSE (Oakhurst)

Outback Steakhouse doesn’t really require an explanation. It’s a shameless crowd pleasure. But still pretty awesome. And now you can get a bloomin’ onion and a Fosters oil can in Oakhurst. Winning!

OFFSHORE COFFEE CO. (Asbury Park)

Already a local favorite from their locations in Belmar and Long Branch, Offshore Coffee Co. just opened their new beachfront store in Asbury Park’s Convention Hall. We agree with their self-assessment, “a perfect blend of coastal ease and coffee excellence.” Facts.

MUTINY BEACH (Asbury Park)

Mutiny BBQ Company is serious BBQ. The highly acclaimed, Guy Fieri approved smokehouse in Asbury Park is now bringing everything we need to the beach at their new spot at Convention Hall. Great food, a huge bar, and live music. Not sure what more you could ask for.

SHUCKED BY LOCAL 130 SEAFOOD (Asbury Park)

Rounding out this absolute blitz of new offerings at Convention Hall is Shucked. The new restaurant by the owners of Local 130 Seafood is serving up the freshest local seafood you’re going to find and the BUZZ has been phenomenal.

🎨 HISTORY

Decoration Day | 5/26 12 pm - 3 pm | Historic Longstreet Farm (Holmdel)

Ecology of Native Plants | 5/29  6 pm - 7:30 pm | Colts Neck Library (Colts Neck)

My Lost Teenage Years | 5/29  6:30 pm - 7 pm | W. Long Branch Library (W. Long Branch)

The Hindenburg Experience | 5/27  7 pm | Middletown Library (Middletown)

🎭️ CINEMA

A Complete Unknown | 5/27 1:30 pm - 3:50 pm | Holmdel Library (Holmdel)

Companion | 5/27  2 pm - 4 pm | Shrewsbury Library (Shrewsbury)

Gladiator II | May 27 2 pm - 4 pm | Manalapan Library (Manalapan)

Flight Risk | 5/28  2 pm - 3:30 pm | Hazlet Library (Hazlet)

Small Things Like These | 5/28  6 pm - 7:45 pm | Holmdel Library (Holmdel)

Jerry and Marge Go Large | 5/29  1 pm - 2:35 pm | Marlboro Library (Marlboro)

Isle of Dogs | 5/29 2 pm - 3:45 pm | Ocean Library (Ocean)

Bustin' Down the Door | 5/29 7 pm | House of Independents (Asbury Park)

🎸 LIVE MUSIC

Forever Donna with The Chiclettes | 5/28 1:30 pm - 4 pm | PNC (Holmdel)

Candelight Spring: A Tribute to Adele | 5/29 7 pm - 8 pm | Pollack Theater -Monmouth U. (W. Long Branch)

Best of Clapton | 5/29 7 pm - 10 pm | McLoone’s Supper Club (Asbury Park)

The Foolish Hearts-Grateful Dead Dueling Pianos | 5/29 7 pm | 10th Ave. Burrito (Belmar)

Cafe' Artiste | 5/28  6:30 pm | Jersey Shore Arts Center (Ocean Grove)

Bobfest: The Musical Celebration of Bob Dylan's Birthday | 5/29  7 pm | Count Basie (Red Bank)

⚾️ SPORTS & FITNESS 🏃‍♂️ 

Blue Claws @ Greenville all week 

Unstoppable Athlete: Parent's Playbook for Success & Injury Prevention | 5/27  6:30 pm | Underground Strength Gym (Manasquan)

Gentle & Restorative Yoga | 5/28  3:30 pm - 4:15 pm | Lunch Break (Red Bank)

Adult Yoga | 5/27  6:30 pm - 7:30 pm | Croydon Hall (Leonardo)

Adult Open Basketball | 5/28 7 pm - 9 pm | Croydon Hall (Leonardo)

Sgt. Dennis Vaccaro Memorial 5k Run/Walk | 5/26 8 am Check-in | W. Long Branch Comm. Center (W. Long Branch)

Sunset Yoga | 5/29 7 pm - 8 pm | LaReine Ave Beach (Bradley Beach)

Early Bird Workout | 5/27-29 7 am - 10 am | Fort Monmouth Rec Center Pool (Tinton Falls)

Quality Is Our Legacy

🌊 ☀️ BEACH

Asbury Park - Ocean Temp. 56°F

Mon 5/26: Low 1:09 am | High 7:11 am | Low 1:06 pm | High 7:29 pm | Sunrise 5:33 am | Sunset 8:16 pm

Tues 5/27: Low 2:03 am | High 8:04 am | Low 1:59 pm | High 8:20 pm | Sunrise 5:32 am | Sunset 8:16 pm

Wed 5/28: Low 2:56 am | High 8:58 am | Low 2:52 pm | High 9:11 pm | Sunrise 5:31 am | Sunset 8:17 pm

Thur 5/29: Low 3:47 am | High 9:54 am | Low 3:44 pm | High 10:06 pm | Sunrise 5:30 am | Sunset 8:18 am