By Julia Train
It was a cloudy day on Saturday, June 29, but that didn’t stop the planet’s biggest beach party from going on.
For the past 13 years, Margate’s Beachstock has brought thousands of both South Jersey locals and visitors to celebrate.
A plethora of vendors set up between Huntington and Granville avenues for the free, 14-hour event held by Margate Business Association.
There was an eclectic mix of crafters with their art, clothing and accessories, like Beach Caddy, Sun Head, Play PKL and Dye It Up– whose owner, Marc Wassermam was actually tie dying items while at the event.
Along with the merchants set up along the entryway and beach, there was no shortage of food options.
Attendees could get hamburgers and french fries from Margate Dairy Bar and Burger, pizza from Jace’s Place, shrimp bangers and crab cake sliders from Vagabond Kitchen and Taphouse, tacos from TacoCat and barbeque pulled pork and brisket from South Jersey Smokehouse.
For dessert there was an assortment of rum cakes from Goodway Bakery and creamy cannolis from Mannino’s Cannoli Express, smoothies and bowls by California Frozen Yogurt and ice cream from Margate Dairy Bar and Burger.
“[My favorite part is] probably the bonfire. And the food was really great,” said Myla Lipari, 20, from Egg Harbor Township. She had ice cream from Margate Dairy Bar and a lobster roll from PJ Buckets.
There was also a variety of soda served in vintage tin cups by the iconic Tin Cup Soda and a Tiki Beach Bar for those who were 21 years old or over.
Next to the Tiki bar, Matthew Deibert from Sandcreation spent the day creating the Trolls-themed Beachstock sand sculpture, a nod to the film later shown at 6:45 p.m.
There were two stages providing non-stop entertainment, one for the kids and another with South Pacific Island Tahitian Drums, Polynesian Dancers, Samoan Fire Knife Dance, Emerald Isle Irish Dancers and music from No Clue Trio, Sunrise Cries, and NJ British Invasion.
There were a variety of activities people of all ages could choose from, such as free Air Circus kite lesson, Stacey’s Surf lessons, sand sculpting lessons by Matthew Deibert, Margate Fire Department’s Cool Blast, a kid’s treasure hunt, limbo contests and hula hooping.
As music filled the beach, attendees could also participate in a wiffle ball home run derby, a cornhole tournament–which Miss New Jersey 2024, Elizabeth Mendel was seen playing– and an AC Volleyball Factory Tournament.
In addition to Miss New Jersey, “Good Morning America” host Morgan Norwood was there participating in activities and filming for a segment that will air some time after the Fourth of July.
iHeart Media radio stations 95.1 WAYV, 100.7 WZXL and Philly’s Q 102 also brought their famous inflatables and promotions teams to interact with the crowd.
Pickle Juice, a pickleball facility in Ventnor even offered complimentary play, kids clinics, and other activities. The Pickle Juice team also gave out tee shirts, hats, paddles and more.
As the sun went down, a bonfire was lit within a 20-by-20-footconfined area, “Trolls Band Together” played on an outdoor screen close to the pickleball court and entertainment was provided by South Pacific Island Fire Dancers, Q102’s DJ Nico Oso and KNOX.
“It was such a beautiful moment to see everyone singing and dancing and just enjoying each other and the entertainment,” said Anna Maria Blescia-Courter, Margate Business Association executive director.
Julia is a student at Rider University, majoring in multiplatform journalism with a minor in social media strategies. At school, she writes and is news editor for The Rider News and is the News Director for the radio station, producing news updates. She’ll be graduating in the spring. Connect with her on Instagram @juliatrain
