Together With Our Friends At

Good morning, Monmouth County! If you’re a Manasquan beachgoer it may have seemed like the Sea Watch Pavilion was a forever casualty of Superstorm Sandy. The storm ravaged the building back in 2012 leaving it virtually unusable. But now, after over a decade, it’s back. The brand new $3.6 million facility officially opens its doors today.

It’s a beautiful building at the beach’s edge with new lockers (if you’re one of the lucky lottery winners), storage space for lifeguard jet skis, and a cool viewing deck on the second story. But the most exciting feature for the general public will no doubt be the new concessions. Manasquan already has some solid options for beachfront bites. But the new concession operators, The Shore Spot, are a pretty big step up from the typical basket of tendies and fries. They’re actually a catering company (Frank’s Kickass Eats) that also runs concessions at the Manasquan Brielle Little League fields. There they serve up beef Wellington, pulled pork, and chicken wings to players and families. So we may be visiting the beach with no intentions of swimming or tanning. And contrary to myth, it’s not necessary to wait an hour to swim after eating beef Wellington.

Today’s Buzz 🐝 

 🏍️ Extreme Machines May Bike Nite

 🏖️ Asbury Park Beach Badge Fundraiser

☕️ Wake Coffee & Kitchen - Wall

⛳️ Monmouth County Golf Courses Loyalty Program

🎭️ Theater Schedule

🎸 Live Music

🌊 Ocean Temp - Tides

🥳 Family Fun

Xtreme Machines May Bike Night | 5/22 6 pm - 8 pm | Xtreme Machines (Millstone)

Stuff your own giraffe | 5/19  3:45 pm - 4:30 pm | Neptune Public Library (Neptune)

Kids Cooking Class | 5/19  5 pm - 7:30 pm | Lunch Break (Red Bank)

Huber Woods Environmental Center & Reptile House | Weekdays 10 am - 4 pm and Weekends 10 am - 5pm | Huber Wood Environmental Center (Middletown)

Wonder Wing | Tues-Fri 10 am - 4 pm | Monmouth Museum (Lincroft)

Memorial Day Crafts & Storytime | 5/20 10 am - 4 pm | Monmouth Museum (Lincroft)

Becker STEAM Wing & Reissman Center for Air & Space | Thur and Fri 10 am - 2 pm Sat and Sun 10 am - 4 pm | Monmouth Museum (Lincroft). Tuesdays and Wednesdays CLOSED

Animals at Historic Longstreet Farm | Everyday 10 am - 4 pm | Historic Longstreet Farm (Holmdel)

Junk Journaling for Teens | 5/22  5 pm - 7 pm | Red Bank Public Library (Red Bank)

Mother-Son Western Hoedown | 5/22  5:30 pm - 8 pm | Poricy Park (Red Bank)

Build a bug with a biologist | 5/22  4 pm - 4:45 pm | Hazlet Library (Hazlet)

Adventures in STEAM | 5/22 4:15 pm - 4:45 pm | Manalapan Library (Manalapan)

Adventures in STEAM | 5/22 4:15 pm - 4:45 pm | Malboro Library (Marlboro)

Kids Cookie Club | 5/19  11:00 AM | Bang Cookie (Ocean Twp.)

🏠️ Local Events

Casual Birder | 5/20  9:00 am | Manasquan Reservoir (Howell)

Splendid Spring Stroll | 5/21 10:00 am - 11:30 am | Manasquan Reservoir (Howell)

Nature Lecture: Horseshoe Crabs in Monmouth County | 5/22  7 pm - 8 pm | Bayshore Waterfront Park Activity Ctr | Port Monmouth

Financial Literacy | 5/20 5:30 pm -6:30 pm |  Lunch Break (Red Bank)

Computer Literacy | 5/20  6:45 pm - 7:45 pm | Lunch Break (Red Bank)

Kellys Knit & Crochet Circle | 5/19  4 pm - 6 pm | Howell Library (Howel)

Holmdel Chess Club | 5/22  5 pm - 8 pm | Holmdel Library (Holmdel)

4th Annual Main St. Blues and Cruise | 5/21 6 pm - 9 pm | Main St. (Matawan)

🍔🍹 Food and Drink

Wake Coffee & Kitchen - Wall

For those familiar with the last proprietors of John’s Cracker Barrel in Shark River Hills, you know Pierre and Carrie Cruz are serious food people. In 2019 they brought a menu to the century old establishment that was next level. For over five years under their stewardship, John’s Cracker Barrel was a hidden gem in the truest sense. A tucked away little spot serving delicious fresh from scratch fare.

Fast forward to the end of 2024 when Wall Country Kitchen turned off its griddles for the last time. Much to our delight the Cruzes took over their spot in Colfax Plaza and Wake Coffee & Kitchen was born. Thankfully, they’re still close by for their Shark River Hills faithful. But now with more seating and parking, even more people can enjoy what they’re bringing to the table.

Other Food Stuff

Nicholas Creamery’s New Location in Wall is Open!

Cigar Dinner with Brandl Steakhouse | 5/19 6:30 pm | Brandl (Belmar)

Kids Eat Free at Miller's Ale House | 5/20  All Day | Miller's Ale House (Ocean Twp.)

Sea Glass Art Workshop | 5/21  6 pm - 8 pm | Bakes Brewing (Wall)

Candle-making workshop | 5/21  6 pm - 8 pm | Tall Oaks Farm & Brewery (Farmingdale)

DIY Earing workshop | 5/21 6 pm - 8 pm |Beach Bee Meadery (Long Branch)

Movie Night: Star Wars Rogue One | 5/21  7:00 pm | Alternate Ending Brewery (Aberdeen)

The Boondocks Fishery Opening Day | 5/20 4:00 pm | The Boondocks Fishery (Red Bank)

Sinatra Night | 5/22  5:30 pm | The Squire at Branches (W. Long Branch)

Edgar Allen Poe Speakeasy | 5/22 6 pm, 8 pm, 10 pm | White Chapel Projects (Long Branch)

🍓 Farmers Markets

Bell Works Fresh | 5/21  11 am - 4 pm | Bell Works (Holmdel)

Foodie Farmers Market | 5/22  4 pm - 7 pm | Calgo Gardens (Freehold)

🎨 Art & History

The Poetry of Gerard Manly Hopkins | 5/20 2 pm - 3:30 pm | Shrewsbury Library (Shrewsbury)

Women in Aviation: A virtual lecture | 5/21  10:30 am - 12 pm | Online

The Ecology of Native Plants | 5/22 7 pm - 8:30 pm | Allentown Library (Allentown)

How to Enter the Children's Book Industry | 5/22 6 pm - 7:30 pm | Monmouth Arts (Red Bank)

Presenting a Watercolor Landscape Demo & Workshop | 5/21  6:30 pm | Freehold Elks Lodge (Freehold)

🎭️ Theater/Comedy/Cinema

Hannah Berner | 5/22 7 pm | Count Basie (Red Bank)

The MAC One-Acts Play Reading Festival | 5/22  7 pm | Middletown Arts Center (Middletown)

Shrewd Gumshoes Presented by Radio Classic Road Shows | 5/22  7 pm - 8 pm Shrewsbury Library (Shrewsbury)

The Basie Awards | 5/21  7 pm | Count Basie (Red Bank)

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory | 5/22  6:00pm - 8:30pm | The Villas at Holmdel (Holmdel)

Afternoon Movies: Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows | 5/20 2 pm - 4 pm | Wall Library (Wall)

Ocean Twp. Movie: Mad Max: Fury Road | 5/22  2 pm - 4 pm | Ocean Twp. Library(Ocean)

🎸 Live Music

Asbury Park Beach Badge Fundraiser | 5/19  7 pm | Asbury Lanes (Asbury Park)

Jersey Boys and Jersey Girls: Music Born in the Garden State | 5/22 1 pm - 2 pm | Malboro Library (Marlboro)

Arms Length | 5/22  7 pm | Stone Pony (Asbury Park)

John Easdale | 5/22 6 pm | Transparent Clinch Gallery (Asbury Park)

⚾️ Sports

Fore!!!!! - 4% that is. Monmouth County Golf Courses began a loyalty program this year. Resident Golf Pass holders can now earn 1 point for every dollar spent on resident greens fees. The points are redeemable at $4 for every 100 points. You basically can’t afford not to play now!

Blueclaws vs Brooklyn Cyclones  - $2 Ticket Tuesday | 5/20  6:05 pm | Shoretown Ballpark (Lakewood)

Blueclaws vs Brooklyn Cyclones - Education Day | 5/21  11:05 am |  Shoretown Ballpark (Lakewood)

Blueclaws vs Brooklyn Cyclones - Post Game Fireworks | 5/22  6:35 pm | Shoretown Ballpark (Lakewood)

Quality Is Our Legacy

🌊 ☀️ Beach

Asbury Park - Ocean Temp. 59°F

Mon 5/19: High 12:12 am | Low 6:39 am | High 1:00 pm | Low 6:41 pm | Sunrise 5:37 am | Sunset 8:09 pm

Tue 5/20: High 1:08 am | Low 7:38 am | High 1:55 pm | Low 8:02 pm | Sunrise 5:37 am | Sunset 8:10 pm

Wed 5/21: High 2:07 am | Low 8:39 am | High 2:51 pm | Low 9:16 pm Sunrise 5:36 am | Sunset 8:11 pm

Thur 5/22: High 3:09 am | 9:36 am | 3:50 pm | 10:19 pm | Sunrise 5:36am | Sunset 8:10pm