By Donald Wittkowski
Contrary to what some people might believe, summer is not “over” in Sea Isle City just because Labor Day has come and gone, says Christopher Glancey.
“Everyone always says, ‘Summer ends after Labor Day.’ But we still have three more summer weekends to go,” said Glancey, president of the Sea Isle City Chamber of Commerce and Revitalization.
He pointed out that the next seven or eight weeks will be pivotal for the local business community and the rest of the city as summer transitions into fall.
Although tourism traditionally slows down at the shore after Labor Day, both the city and the Chamber of Commerce are sponsoring a series of family-friendly special events to continue drawing visitors to Sea Isle in September and October.
“We put a lot more emphasis on weekend events in the fall,” Glancey said in an interview after the Chamber’s monthly board meeting Wednesday.
Chamber of Commerce President Christopher Glancey says autumn is another important season for the local business community.
Glancey noted that late September and early fall are popular times for people who own vacation homes to spend their weekends in Sea Isle.
“They can come down here to enjoy the rest of summer. So, when you come here to enjoy good weekend weather, you can also enjoy the weekend events that we have,” Glancey said.
Some of the highlights in September include the Food Truck Festival, Sept. 7-9, the Fall Family Festival, Sept. 15-16, the Irish Festival Weekend, Sept. 21-23, and Harborfest on Sept. 29.
The Italian Festival and Columbus Day Parade kick things off for the fall on Oct. 6, followed by the Halloween Parade and Dance Party on Oct. 19 and Octoberfest on Oct. 20.
The Halloween Parade is a centerpiece of the city's fall entertainment lineup.
Parking fees and beach tags are no longer charged in Sea Isle after Labor Day, giving visitors two money-saving perks.
Sea Isle spokeswoman Katherine Custer said City Council approved an ordinance a few years ago to end parking fees immediately after Labor Day as an extra incentive for visitors to come to town during the off-season.
The city is coming off what Glancey described as a “good” summer season and wants to continue the momentum into the fall.
“The early rains of June gave way to good weather in July and August. Summer was good. Nothing out of the ordinary,” Glancey said.
For more details on Sea Isle’s special events, go to www.visitsicnj.com or www.seaislechamber.com.
