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Health & Fitness

July 4th Events at the Jersey Shore

Events during the holiday week, including festivals and fireworks. Featuring Oceanfest in Long Branch, fireworks in Ocean Grove, Keansburg or Atlantic Highlands, the Middletown Jazz Festival and more!

There’s so much to do on the holiday weekend at the Jersey Shore. No matter where you are, you can find a festival, parade or fireworks display that you can enjoy. So take a break from the barbeques and check out some of the events happening over the 4th of July week:

4TH OF JULY EVENTS

The marquee event of Independence Day is probably Oceanfest, a fantastic family celebration of the 4th of July held on the Promenade in Long Branch! This full day festival is held along the beach, stretching from the Ocean Place Resort & Spa to Seven Presidents Park. It features a large variety of food, live musical entertainment, children’s entertainment, vendors, arts & crafts and more. The finale is a spectacular fireworks displays that is one of the largest at the Jersey Shore.

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Morning Parades:

  • Ocean Grove Fourth of July Parade from 10:30am
  • North Wildwood Independence Day Parade. Parade begins at 9:00am at 15th & Atlantic Ave and proceeds north to 1st Ave. Prized awarded for best decorated bikes, strollers and wagons in Red-White-Blue theme

Evening Fun and Fireworks:

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  • Stone Harbor Fireworks and Band Concert. Starting 9am with a Sand Sculpture Contest, Hoy’s Candy Scramble, foot races, slow bike race, and much more! The celebration continues in the evening beginning at 6pm with live music, food and fireworks at 9:30
  • Ocean City Fourth of July Celebration. Kite flying competition at 5pm followed by entertainment. A spectacular fireworks display off 9th Street beach tops off the evening
  • Point Pleasant Beach 4th of July Fireworks at dusk on Jenkinson’s Boardwalk
  • Wildwood Fourth of July Fireworks Spectacular on the Beach at Pine Avenue, 10pm
  • Seaside Heights Fourth of July Fireworks Extravaganza: Spectacular fireworks display on the beach at 9:30pm
  • Keansburg Amusement Park has spectacular free fireworks both Tuesday and Wednesday

MORE FIREWORKS

  • Thursday July 5: Brick at Windward Beach Park at 9pm
  • Friday July 6: Atlantic Highlands Harbor Fireworks at 9:30pm

WRAPPING THINGS UP

To end the holiday week, there’s even more great events at the Jersey Shore:

Saturday July 7 it’s the Middletown Jazz & Blues Festival, a free day of music and festivities. The fun starts at 11 am and runs through the day, til 8 pm. There will be continuous music on the main stage, alternating jazz and blues, by some of our most energetic and engaging local bands.

Saturday and Sunday it’s the Wildwood Crest Fourth of July FREEdom Festival at the Gazebo at Rambler Rd & Ocean Ave, 9am-5pm, with crafters of all kinds, food, live entertainment, children’s activities. FREE concerts will take place at Centennial Park, 7:30-9:30pm

Also Saturday and Sunday it’s the Wildwood Maritime Festival with a display of various Maritime Museums and organizations at the Hereford Inlet Lighthouse. There will be vendors, food, music, children’s activities and guided tours.

Finally, over the July 7-8 weekend, Margate hosts Beachstock 2012, The Planet’s Biggest Beach Party. Take tunes and tides, throw in some sun, sand and surf, then mix in more than music, family-friendly activities and fabulous food and spread it all out for 12 hours. Live bands, food and beer garden, Water Balloon Toss, Hula Hoop Contest, Potato Sack Races, Sand Sculpting, Face Painting, Surfing Classes, Bocce and more. Runs 10:30am-10pm.

If you’re traveling this weekend, you can also check out ShoreVacations.com, one of Jersey Shore’s biggest travel resource. It’s a one-stop website for planning your Jersey Shore vacation, featuring summer rentals, beach information, weather updates and more! And of course, it has a full list of all the Jersey Shore events this year.

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