Nearly 3,000 people attend Beach Haven’s first Boat Parade and Seafood Festival

Crowds of people indulged in cold beer and fresh seafood as Jimmy and The Parrots belted out classic hits from Alan Jackson and Jimmy Buffett’s “It’s Five o’Clock Somewhere” to “Twist and Shout” by The Top Notes during Beach Haven’s first Boat Parade and Seafood Festival held at the Bay Village waterfront Saturday evening, Sept. 19. The event, hosted by the borough in partnership with Beach Haven Future, drew an audience of nearly 3,000 people.

Photo by Ryan Morrill
The crowds let loose with Jimmy and the Parrots.

“This is just an unbelievable turnout, and we are beyond thrilled. It’s absolutely what we envisioned,” Barb Cona, Beach Haven Future’s executive director, said just before the start of the boat parade, which featured 14 boats ranging in size from 60 to 17 feet.

The main draw of the event included a variety of specialty seafood, from Biggy’s Beach Grill’s seared tuna tacos to grilled lobster from Murphy’s Marketplace. Other delicious bites such as Mullica River oysters provided by Bistro 14, clams on the half shell from The Gazebo Restaurant and Country Kettle Chowda’s award-winning clam chowders, among other food, were also big hits. Plenty of eaters also chowed down on wings from The Chicken or the Egg and Crust and Crumb Bakery’s gigantic elephant ears.

“We’ve been working so hard to bring events on the shoulders of the season to sustain the business community and give a boost to the town of Beach Haven,” said Cona. “It’s great because all the money from the event goes back into the town. We’ve had a great summer working with Beach Haven, and we hope that partnership will continue to grow over the years.”

Festival-goers gathered along the water’s edge just before sunset as boats and even a group of stand-up paddleboarders decked out in red, white and blue paraded around the bay, though a few boaters had some trouble navigating the low tide.

Photo by Ryan Morrill
Stand-up paddleboarders join the parade.

The first-place award for the Americana-themed competition in honor of the town’s 125th anniversary was given to Flat Rate, a 60-foot boat that Beach Haven residents Vince and Kim D’Antuono decorated with a giant, blow-up Uncle Sam hat. Second place went to Four Play, a 28-foot boat decorated by Thomas and Patricia Tafrow of Robbinsville. Long Beach Township resident Joe O’Neill received third place, and Beach Haven resident William Burris took home honorable mention for the Melina.

The residential grand prize winner for the decorating contest went to Bill and Diane Sullivan of Essex Avenue, and the condominium winner was Amber View Condominiums of Amber Street.

BHF President John Wachter thanked the many volunteers and participating restaurants that “worked tirelessly to keep up with the crowds serving an outstanding assortment of fine food at great prices.”

“I am confident all of our vendors will be back again next year,” he said.

The event was sponsored by Beach Haven borough, BHF, Shore Point Distributors, Coastal Living Real Estate Group, Kapler’s Pharmacy, Hot or Not Yoga and Diane Turton Realty.

A Fall Festival at Veterans Park on Oct. 24, filled with activities, shopping, food and drinks before wrapping up with a bonfire on the beach, will be the next event to celebrate the town’s anniversary.

— Kelley Anne Essinger


This article was published in The SandPaper.