Locals Celebrate Summer at LobsterFest

A summer weekend at the Jersey Shore is reason enough to celebrate, and locals and tourists alike took advantage of the music, food, fun and games at Bradley Beach’s third annual Lobster Fest on Saturday.

From 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., attendees perused the boardwalk. The area’s most popular eateries supplied food, with special focus on seafood in honor of the event’s theme. Mr. Shrimp, Ike’s Famous Crab Cakes and the Lusty Lobster’s booths were popular among those looking for a bite to eat.

“Nothing says summer like quality seafood,” said Belmar vacationer Hank Fitzsimmons. “This lobster is dangerously good.”

For dessert or just a cool snack to beat the heat, beach and boardwalk goers had options like Gelato, Italian ice, smoothies and freshly squeezed lemonade. Also popular was the Amish baked goods tent, which sold homemade cookies, tarts and pies.

PHOTO GALLERY: Bradley Beach Lobsterfest

Drinks and a place to relax were available all day at the beer and wine garden for the adults.

Vendors of all kinds lined the Bradley Beach boardwalk, providing services such as palm reading and airbrush tattoos. Girls of all ages flocked to the booth that offered feather hair extensions.

For the arts enthusiasts, Turkish and African pottery was on display for a wide range of prices. Also for sale were striking hand painted tiles and homemade soy candles.

Guests browsed an enormous spread of jewelry, clothing and home decorations. Selling her “repurposed” jewelry at Lobster Fest was Philadelphia native Judith Jaffe. Her handmade pieces incorporate mechanics of recycled watches and clocks, and are updated with jewels and brightly colored accent paints.

“This festival is such a nice spread of merchandise,” said Jaffe. “And we lucked out with a beautiful day, and a nice afternoon breeze.”

Activities for children included inflatable waterslides, sand art, face painting and carnival games with pet goldfish as prizes.

“This was a such a fun festival to bring the kids to,” said Abbie Clark, who is vacationing in Bradley Beach with her family. “They’re having a blast on the water slide, and the beach is right there so we have the best of both worlds.”

The entertainment lineup for the day consisted of several local artists. Matt Wade, an Asbury Park native, enchanted the crowd with music rooted in Jazz, Blues, Gospel and R&B. The Jersey Shore reggae band Random Test took the stage next, and the group Refuze wrapped up the Festival.

Table Decorations: Tips and Tricks creates elegant reception ...

Table Decoration is the center of attraction of all the guests, be it family members, friends or relatives. When the vows are exchanged and the wedding rituals and ceremonies are completed, guests head towards the tables for the delicious food to enjoy. And the décor of the table is the first thing that sets the mood and environment for enjoying the yummy food. Hence, the Wedding Table Decoration should be just grand and euphoric to bring an eternal bliss to all. The right table decorating ideas for a wedding can turn functional furniture into an integral part of the décor, creating a beautiful tableau for the reception and the beginning of a couple’s happily ever after. A bride will put a lot of thought into the type of decorations that are used on the tables where guests will sit during the after wedding celebrations in the reception hall. The bride might choose to place a guest book at the entrance so that everyone who enters can see it and sign their names. Some might choose to leave small comments that are meant to be best wishes for the happy couple on their special day, and the bride will ensure that a decorative pen is posted for all guests to use. Wedding Table Decoration can vary with different themes. For Beach Wedding Theme, Wedding Table Decoration will consist of Marzipan Seashells, Sea creatures, Dolphins, Killer whales, Lobsters, Crabs, and Sea urchins in various colors. Christmas Wedding will include Christmas box with goodies, puddings, reindeer, Santa’s snowmen, holy leaves, rose leaves, and other wedding favors. Again, Tropical Wedding theme will be full of fruits like lemon, pineapple, lime, banana, and papaya. For the Halloween theme, there are various skittery wedding décor. Witches, grave stones, skulls, ghosts, severed fingers, cats and spiders are the part of Wedding Decoration. Head Table: This is usually a long table for the bride and groom, their parents, and possibly the bridal party. Sweetheart Table: This is a more intimate table for just the bride and groom. Cake Table: The wedding cake is undoubtedly a showpiece of the reception, and its table should be decorated accordingly. Buffet Table: If the meal or snacks will be served buffet-style, the table will require some decorative accents. Guest Tables: From just a few to a few dozen, each guest table should be coordinated. Signing Table: This table may have frame for guests to add sentiments to, an elaborate guestbook, or other way for guests to offer individual comments.

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