Sea Isle Holds Skimmer Festival June 16-17

Skimmer Festival Weekend – Sea Isle City’s largest summer festival – takes place on Saturday and Sunday, June 16 and 17, on Father’s Day weekend. The festival derives its name from the vintage straw hats that gentlemen often wore during the summer months. The event begins on Saturday with a Seaside Vendor Market along Sea Isle’s oceanfront Promenade from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. featuring hundreds of craft and specialty vendors. Also on Saturday, the popular Skimmer Food Court will be open in front of Excursion Park, JFK Boulevard and Pleasure Avenue, where a tempting selection of local delicacies and traditional festival fare will be on sale. Inside Excursion Park, there will be a variety of free family activities, including amusement rides, a new “Art Bar,” face painting, a family photo booth and a “Waxy Hands” station. There will also be a “Sand Art” station, where children can create souvenirs for a small fee. The Philly Blue Soul Band will perform a free concert at the Excursion Park Band Shell from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday. An antique auto show and parade will highlight the Skimmer Festival on Sunday. (Courtesy Sea Isle City) Skimmer Festival will continue on Sunday, which is also Father's Day, with an Antique Auto Show along the Promenade from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. featuring scores of vintage vehicles. Also on Sunday, the Snake Brothers Band will perform on the Promenade at JFK Boulevard from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Free guided historical trolley tours will be offered every half-hour in front of Excursion Park from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The tours will be led by members of the Sea Isle City Historical Society, who will point out notable landmarks and explain how Sea Isle has grown over the years. At 1 p.m. on Sunday, trophies will be presented to the winners of the Antique Auto Show. Then, each of the vehicles entered in the show will parade through town, bringing this year's Skimmer Festival to a spectacular close. For more details about Skimmer Festival Weekend, please phone (609) 263-8687 or go to www.visitsicnj.com.