Just in case you thought the fun was over in Cape May because you can’t wear your bathing suit down to the beach, be advised other good times are just beginning. Why? ‘Cause it’s “elementary my dear Watson.”

 That’s right - Sherlock Homes Weekend (Nov 4-6) starts the month off. This extremely popular (may already be sold out) event is sponsored by the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts (MAC). Join Sherlock Holmes for a weekend of mystery, food, and intrigue. The weekend includes tours, luncheon and prizes. The price of the package varies according to the activity so contact MAC at www.capemaymac.org or call 609-884-5404 or 800-275-4278.
 Other activities surrounding the event include East Lynne Theater Company’s presentation of Sherlock Holmes' "Adventure of the Copper Beeches" to be performed Nov. 4 & 5 at 8 p.m. The production is done in the style of a 1930’s radio broadcast, complete with sound effects. ELTC performs in residence at The First Presbyterian Church of Cape May, 500 Hughes St.  For information and reservations call 609-884-5898 or they can be reached on the web at eastlynnetheater.org. Additionally, a Sherlock Homes Weekend Dinner at the Mad Batter, 19 Jackson Street, will be served Saturday night at 7:30. The famous sleuth is back in Cape May for this three-course dinner. For more information or to make reservations, call 609-884-5404 or 800-275-4278 or visit www.capemaymac.org

 The high note of November is undoubtedly the Cape May Jazz Festival (Nov.11-Nov. 13). This marks the beginning of the festival’s 12^th year. Premier jazz flutist Herbie Mann will be honored. Mann performed to a sell out crowd at the Cape May Jazz Festival April 1999 and November 2002. Mann used only the finest musicians on his gigs and on his recordings and many will be here Friday night in Convention Hall to honor him including Dave Valentin, Larry Coryell, Edson Café' DiSilva and his original band with his son Geoffrey on drums and Saturday night David "Fathead" Newman."
 A total of 24 events will be held this weekend including jams, improvisation workshops and a memorial to Oscar Brown, Jr. in Convention Hall Saturday at 10:30am.
For tickets call 609-884-7277 or 877-7CM-JAZZ. You can also order on line at http://www.capemayjazz.org/ordertickets.cfm but hurry please. Key events sometimes sell out.

 And begin your weekend of Jazz with dinner Friday night at the Mad Batter with a three-course New Orleans-style dinner at 7 p.m. Sponsored by the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts (MAC) and hosted by the Mad Batter, call 609-884-5404 or 800-275-4278 or visit www.capemaymac.org.

 Wait!  We’re not done yet. The next weekend (Nov. 17-20) is the Cape May New Jersey Film Festival. This year’s honoree is Steve Sabol, President of NFL Films, Inc. Sabol, who heads the Mount Laurel, NJ, NFL Films, will accept the CMNJSFF’s Governors Award For Outstanding Achievement and Innovation In New Media on behalf of himself and his father, Ed, the founder of NFL Films, at the 5th Annual Cape May NJ State Film Festival November 17 – 20, 2005. The New Jersey native will be honored at the Gala “Coctails and Caviar” Opening Night Ceremony on Friday, November 18 in the elegantly restored Congress Hall ballroom in Cape May.

 Ed and Steve Sabol are responsible for guiding NFL Films’ innovations in the film industry that have changed the way America watches football.  Nothing could validate this standard of excellence more than NFL Films’ 91 Emmy Awards and numerous International Awards.

 Past festival honorees include Susan Sarandon, William Baldwin, Joey Pantoliano, and Robert Prosky. The Gala tribute highlights a weekend packed with an impressive collection of over 50 New Jersey Films and filmmakers, including several Academy Award winners and nominees, screening at the Frank Family’s Cape May Beach 4 Theatre, Congress Hall, and the city’s Convention Center. For more information and tickets call 609-884-6700 or log on to www.njstatefilmfestival.com

 That same weekend (Nov. 18^th) kicks off the holiday season as well. And we’re not just talkin’ turkey here. The Holiday Preview Weekend will give you early birds a glimpse of Christmas - Cape May style.  Tours and special events include the Evening Wassail Tour, A Physick Family Christmas living history presentation and an Atlantic Brass Band Holiday Concert. Saturday Nov. 19 and Sunday, Nov. 20. Costs and times vary per activity. For more information, call 609-884-5404 or 800-275-4278 or visit www.capemaymac.org

 And then, there’s Thanksgiving! This is one of our biggest weekends of the shoulder season. Come on down and shop, tour and dine. You’ll have a swell time. And speaking of Thanksgiving – if you’d like to get away – we have a number of dining and accommodations options for you. Just take a look at our article on Thanksgiving Dinner in Cape May.