The calendar tells us that most of September is still summer...
Here in Cape May, September happens naturally. It's the start of
the fall migration of birds, raptors and Monarch butterflies. Even
the most unobservant of nature lovers can find themselves bumping
into beautiful butterflies while walking along the Promenade. Later
one might notice an American Bald Eagle soaring across the sky.
Cape May is not
New England. Some trees will start to turn color early but they're
still very much green this month. The days are definitely growing
shorter, the sun less intense, but September is one of the prettiest
beach
months of the year. The air is still very warm; the water
temperature is
perfect for a dip, just be sure you’re dipping on a protected
beach. (After Labor Day, the lifeguard staff is cut back and not all
beaches are protected.)
The
beaches are sparsely populated with sunbathers, perfect for
finishing that book you started or just sitting quietly watching the
waves crash ashore with nothing more distracting than the odd
seagull staring at you wondering where the food has gone.
Early Harvest
The sweetened
grapes are ripe on the vine and ready for harvest at our local
vineyards. Jersey fresh tomatoes have been picked; their bounty
celebrated at the West Cape
May’s
Tomato Festival (September 3). And Rea’s Farm bows to
the harvest goddess at the "Harvest Country Fair" Bayshore Road and
Stevens Street (September 17).
Scarecrows start
to pop up around Cape May because of the Fair’s
Cape
island Scarecrow Making Contest. Meanwhile a plethora of
pumpkins populate
the porches of B&Bs, restaurants and private homes reminding us that
September's warmth is temporary; Halloween and cooler weather do
indeed lie ahead.
The Washington
Street Art Show, (September 10-11) yields a harvest of a
different kind. Watercolors, oils, photography, ceramics will be on
display, offering one last chance to bring a piece of Cape May back
home with you.
Does anything
spell end of summer more than Sidewalk Sale? Cape May's is always a
welcome one for both tourists and locals alike. (September 15-18).
The
9th
Annual Cape May Food and Wine Festival (September 17- 22)
sponsored by the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts (MAC), is a
five-day feast with activities, tours and events for everyone from
the novice chef to the connoisseur. The oh-so-popular Chef’s Dine
Around, a progressive five-course feast, with each course served
in one of Cape May’s premier restaurants (September 18-22) is
already sold out.
At publication
time, the Food and Wine Festival Gourmet Lunches held Sunday through
Wednesday (September 18-21) were still open. (see sidebar
below for more)
Not a wine lover
but a beer lover? No problem. Aleathea’s Restaurant on Ocean Street
is offering a five-course Beer Dinner (Thursday, September 22 at
6PM). Cost is $65 per beer drinker. Beer guru Gary Monterosso
will be on hand to explain each of the five
“pairings.”
For an afternoon of September golf,
the Chamber of
Commerce of Greater Cape May has their annual scholarship
tournament that is open to the public (September 29th at 12 noon)
at Cape May National Golf Club.
At the Cape May
Bird Observatory in Cape May Point (www.njaudubon.org/centers/cmbo)
September
birding starts to take center stage again.
Throughout September, there is
normal array of summer
tours – the historic homes, the ghost tour, any number of
trolley tours including the WWII tour – are available daily.
September.
Sweet and far too short for most of us.
Lobsterbake
Luau. Your host restaurateurs are the Craig Bros
Lobsterbake Co. The luau includes lobsters, clams,
mussels, corn of the cob, Cape May barbeque beans,
watermelon, etc., etc. The cost is $50 per person, cash
bar available.
The
participating chefs will have 15 minutes to concoct a
dish from the basket of mystery ingredients provided.
Also on Sunday is the Gourmet Marketplace, the highlight
of which will be the People’s Choice Chowder Contest in
which local chefs compete for bragging rights to the
best New England and Manhattan clam chowder recipe in
Cape May. Admission to the Marketplace is $7 for advance
tickets and $10 at the door – if you can get them at the
door. Of course, that’s not all. Seminars, classes, and
workshops will be held throughout the festival.