By: Valerie Lonkart
Just when you thought summer at the Jersey Shore couldn’t get any better, along comes Margate’s Thrilling Thursdays! Held every Thursday in July and August, visitors and residents alike can enjoy city-wide sidewalk sales, the Margate Community Farmers’ Market, free beach access, free Cornhole, and a free movie on the beach. Notice a theme here? Start the day off with a trip to the Farmers’ Market, located in the parking lot at Steve & Cookies restaurant on the corner of Amherst and Madison Avenues. Held each Thursday between the hours of 8:30 and 11:30 a.m., the market features local produce, seafood, crafters, and florists.
Wind your way through town and shop the city-wide sidewalk sales. Margate has retail shops to fit every style, taste, and need ranging from local surf shop Heritage to numerous women’s boutiques to Colmar Hardware store to AAA Bike Shop. Whatever your need or budget, Margate retailers have you covered.
Next up on the Thrilling Thursdays! agenda? A free day at the beach. That’s right: beach tags are not required on Thursdays, so grab your umbrella and SPF, and enjoy the beaches of Margate.
The Cornhole craze is alive and well in Margate! Come enjoy free recreation play between 6 p.m. and 7.m. on the beach behind the Martin Bloom Pavilion, located between Huntington and Granville Avenues.
Rounding out the day, Margate will show a free family-friendly movie on the beach. Movies will be projected on a large digital screen and will begin at 7 p.m. “This is an awful lot of fun, just a really nice time for families and their kids,” said Margate Business Association Executive Director Anna Maria Blescia-Courter. “Kids can play on the playground and then watch the movie. We really encourage people to order dinner from one of our wonderful restaurants, have it delivered to the beach, and enjoy it while watching the movie.”
A former educator, Valerie is a long-time South Jersey resident. She spent over 20 years in the classroom teaching students English and Writing at the middle school and college levels. Prior to working in education, Valerie worked as a professional writer and editor in Washington, D.C. Valerie currently resides in Margate, NJ with her husband and two teenage kids. When not walking the beach with her puppy, she can be found teaching yoga on the island.
