By ADRIANA ALFARO
Despite the changing season, Sea Isle City residents are preparing for this Christmas, and next summer, by purchasing 2023 holiday beach tags.
Mary Gruccio entered the Sea Isle Welcome Center on Wednesday with one goal in mind, to buy 12 beach tags and use them as stocking stuffers.
“I have a big family, so it makes the perfect gift for my kids and their in-laws,” Gruccio said. “We have so many memories in Sea Isle and I’d love for my grandchildren to have those memories as well.”
This year, Sea Isle ordered 4,000 holiday-themed beach tags to sell for as long as they last. They are $20 each. It is the first time that the city will also be selling and shipping out beach tags through the city’s website, www.seaislecitynj.us.
Since 2010, the city has been selling the holiday beach tags. These little bits of plastic are typically one of the most sought-after presents during the holiday and are even considered a collectible, officials said.
“No matter what quantity we’ve ever had, we always sell out,” Sea Isle City Public Information Officer Katherine Custer pointed out. “We will have people from Philadelphia drive down here just to purchase tags and drive back home.”
Businesses and owners of rentals throughout town purchase tags and give them out to customers and vacationers as incentives.
This year for the first time ever, the city held a beach tag design contest that brought in over 100 submissions, officials said.
Four original designs from the family-friendly competition were selected for Sea Isle’s 2023 beach tags. The four categories were: seasonal, winter holiday, veterans and St. Patrick’s Day.
Laura and Dale Goodreau stopped in the Welcome Center to cover their Christmas shopping. They stocked up on Sea Isle City Environmental Commission’s Turtle T-shirts and purchased their beach tags for the upcoming season.
“We’ve never gotten them this early. I just saw the sign outside and figured I’ll get it now rather than later,” Laura Goodreau said.
The couple purchased two beach tags, for themselves, and took note to come back in April to pick up the veterans’ beach tag.
