Summer Bucket List: 20 great things to do before Labor Day in South Jersey (2024)

Youknow it'll happen.

You'll rise on Memorial Day, the summer stretched before you wider than the acresbetween the Wildwood boardwalk and the surf. The next, seemingly, you'll be shaking the last of the beach sand off your favorite blanket and wondering if the sunblock will save til next year.

All those day trips you planned to take, those festivals and fairs you hoped to attend, those lazy picnics and concerts in the park? Well, maybe next year.

But wouldn't it be nice to pack more fun into the next few months and make the most of South Jersey in all its summer splendor? Whether you are staycationing or only have a free weekend or two, we've rounded up a Summer Bucket List packed full of suggestionshelp you wring every last drop of fun out of 2019.

Some are big events, others are more peaceful pursuits that will help you escape and unplugfor awhile. You may even discover a corner of South Jersey you haven't explored before.

1. Wildwood Air Fest, Rio Grande

BOMBS AWAY: Climb inside restoredmilitaryaircraft and watchWorld War II-erabombers take off and land during the Naval Air Station Wildwood Aviation Museum’s annualAirFest, Aug. 30 through Sept. 2, at Cape May Airport, 500 Forrestal Road. Weekend features live music, a beer garden, food trucks, kids’ activities and exhibits. Tickets are $16 for adults, $12 for children ages 3 to 12. Children under 2 are admitted free.usnasw.org

- Kim Mulford

2.Lot 323, Woodbury

WHOLE LOT OF LOVE: The Lot 323 pop-up beer garden and concert series combines mom and dad’s favorite local brews and bands with a family-friendly outdoor venue for kids to play all summer long. Run by the Woodbury FAF, Lot 323hosts the concert series and all-volunteer run Friday night experience every other week from May 31 to Aug. 9. Admission is free. Lot hours are 6 to 9:30 p.m. Eight & Sand Beer Co. and other local breweries are on tap and food trucks are on site. Theme nights include opportunities to bring your pet, celebrate your pride and support local non-profits. Lot 323 is located at 115 S. Broad St.thefaf.net/events

- Carly Q.Romalino

3. Cape May County Park & Zoo, Cape May Courthouse

ANIMAL PLAN-IT:When the summer budget is tight, there’s no better bargain than the Cape Park County Park & Zoo. Admission andparking are free (donations appreciated), but the zoo’s many animal species guarantee a rich experience. Visitors will walk among peaco*cks as they peek at other zoo animals, including giraffes and primates. There are enclosed areas for the zoo’s vast collections of birds and reptiles and amphibians. Those looking for more adventure can check out theprivately runzip line at the Cape May Zoo;there is a fee for the Tree to Tree Adventure Park. Outside food is permitted in the park, but not the zoo, where food is sold. Strollers, wagons wheelchairs and motorized scooters are available for rent. Hours are 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily at the zoo,707 N. Route 9. For information, visithttps://capemaycountynj.gov/1008/Park-Zoo
- Sheri Berkery

4. Funplex, Mount Laurel

FUN INSIDE AND OUT:Why go to an indoor amusem*nt center in the summer? Because the Funplex has plenty going on outside, too. TheSplashplexwater park is its own attractionwith a separate admission fee and lots of refreshing features such as racing slides, a lazy river and theSplashin’ Speedway play area. Waterpark admission starts at $26 (online fee). Cabana rentals are available. Outdoor activities also include mini golf, bumper boats, a pirate ship, roller coaster, Tilt-A-Whirl and more. If the kids want an air-conditioned break, indoor Funplex attractions includecarnival-stylerides, an arcade, bowling and laser tag. Wristband prices range $20 to $45, depending on season. TheSplashplexis open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday starting May 25, and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.daily starting June 21. The Funplex is open 4 to 9 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 4 to 11 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday; 10 a.m. to 9 a.m. Sunday. Summer hours are 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday-Thursday; 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. 3320-24 Route 38.funplexmountlaurel.com

- Sheri Berkery

5.Curtin’s Wharf, Burlington City

BOAT DRINKS - AND EATS! This boat-themed restaurant is right at Curtin Marina and is located literally on the Delaware River in Burlington City, not far from Route 130, Interstate 295 and the New Jersey Turnpike. Live music is a regular. The menu is varied with items such as ribeye steak, jerk pork chops, lobster ravioli, chicken Parmesan, grilled shrimp and more. There is lots of redevelopment going on nearby, including new apartments being built at the waterfront area and plenty of new restaurants along High Street. Curtin’s Wharf opens on May16this year and closes Labor Day. The location is 501 East Pearl Street.curtinsmarina.net

- Celeste Whittaker

6.AtsionLake,Shamong

PINEY POWER: Do you ever want to go to the beach but don’t feel like driving to the Jersey Shore? This is a great alternative. Theman-made cedarlake is in theAtsionRecreation Area, which is part of the Wharton State Forest and the Pine Barrens. It’s located in Burlington County and is right off Route 206 South. Swimming at the lake is permitted from Memorial Day to Labor Day when lifeguards are on duty, generally from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. There is boating, fishing, hikingand alsocamping facilities nearby.Canoe and kayak rentals are available as well.The lake area has bathroom facilities and showers. There are concession stands, picnic areas and playgrounds. Entrance fees range from $5 to $10 a carload per day during the week to $10 to $20 on weekends. 715 Route 206.visitnj.org/nj-parks-forests-nature/atsion-recreation-area

-Celeste Whittaker

7. Michael Huber Prairie Warbler Preserve, Tabernacle

WINGING IT:Do you dare to spring in thespung? Follow footpaths and sand roads through this 1,227-acre Pinelands haven for prairie warblers, songbirds that winter in the West Indies. You can travel by foot, bike, even horseback. Attractions include aspung, described as “hydrologically isolated wetland that relies entirely on rain and snowfall to maintain its water level.”449 Sooy Place Road.njconservation.org/preserve/michael-huber-prairie-warbler-preserve

- Jim Walsh

8. Walt Whitman's birthday, Camden and Philadelphia

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BEARDED BARD:Prepare for summer’s lengthening shadows by celebrating "America’s poet of democracy,” Walt Whitman, on his 200thbirthday. The City of Camden, where the bearded bard made his home and final resting place, hosts a birthday bash at 10 a.m. May 31 at the Walt Whitman House, 328 Martin Luther King Drive. Other birthday celebrations will take place at Rutgers University-Camden's Stedman Art Gallery and in the courtyard at Philadelphia. whitmanat200.org/events-by-month

- PhaedraTrethan

9. FranklinParker Preserve, Chatsworth

WALK ON THE WILD SIDE: You won’t get bogged down in this former cranberry farm, now a 16-square mile nature preserve in the Pine Barrens. Get out of the sun and hit sandy roads and trails that will take you through pitch pine forestsand blueberryfields, passing shallow lakes, a cedar swamp and branches of the Wading River.1450 County Road 532.njconservation.org/preserve/franklin-parker-preserve

- JimWalsh

10. Historic Cold Spring Harbor, Cape May

STEPBACK IN TIME:Going to a museum may not be everyone’s favorite past-time, but what about a museum that encompassesan entire1800svillage?That iswhatvisitors find at Historic Cold Spring Village, a museum complex of27vintage buildings,abrewery,a farm, general store and more. Guides demonstrate crafts like blacksmithing, pottery-making,basket weaving, spinning and quilting. There are alsospecial weekend events and sometimescanon firings.The village and brewery are openweekendsstartingJune15 with its military weekend. Hours: Tuesday through Sundaybeginning June 25and every Thursday for 8 p.m. Admission: $14 for adults and $12 for childrenages 3 to 12.hcsv.org/cold-spring-brewery

- CarolComegno

11. A Night in Venice, Ocean City

FLOAT YOUR BOAT:If you love a parade,head to one on the water Saturday, July 13 at A Night in Venice in Ocean City or enter your boat if you have one. Theflotilla of boats will sail offat 5:30 p.m. Entertainment headliner for the event is Chubby Checker, singer of “The Twist,” who will perform at 7:30 p.m. Friday, July 12, the night before the parade, at the Ocean City Music Pier. He also will appear in the Saturday boat parade, whichwill pass by decorated homes along the bayfront from the Ocean City-Longport Bridge to Tennessee Avenue. For more information, boat entries and concert tickets, visitocnj.us/niv

- CarolComegno

12.Wildwood Beer Fest, Wildwood

WHAT'S BREWING?: More than 40 breweries will be on hand at Fox Park June 8 for the fifth year of the Wildwood Beer Fest. The event will be split into two sessions, the first from noon to 4 p.m. followed by an evening round from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Visitors will have the opportunity to sample more than 100 beers from a commemorative tasting cup included in the price of admission. The beer fest will also feature food and craft vendors, live music and other highlights such as live brewing sessions with experts. Tickets are $40 plus taxes and fees if purchased online or $45 plus taxes and fees at the gate. Military discounts and special group rates for parties of 10 or more are available. Visitwildwoodbeerfest.com

- Anthony V. Coppola

13.Tahitian Tuesdays, North Wildwood

ISLAND STATE OF MIND: The tropicalbreeze, grass skirts and knives of fire aren’t a 1,000-mile flight away. Paradise Island Entertainment – based in Williamstown – brings authentic Polynesian dance to the Wildwoods. The group – performing traditional dances from Hawaiian Islands, Tahiti and New Zealand – performs at Seaport Pier in North Wildwood every Tuesday starting June 25. Tuesday night shows start at 6:30 p.m. The Seaport Pier is located at 2201 Boardwalk, on the beach between E. 22nd and E. 23rdavenues. seaportpier.com/

- CarlyRomalino

14. The Atlantic City Airshow, Atlantic City

The sky is the stage for Thunder over the Boardwalk, Atlantic City’s annual airshow. This year it will take place Wednesday, Aug. 21. Expect death-defying areal tricks from some of the country’s best acrobatic pilots. The show can be seenfrom the beach and boardwalk.airshow.acchamber.com

- Rebecca King

15. Bay Day, Bayshore Center, Bivalve

SEA-FAIRING FOLK:Like it raw when it comes to oysters? Saturday, June 1 is your day to shuck ‘emand eat ‘em, set aside by the Bayshore Center at Bivalve in Cumberland County. Eating is just a part of what happens at the center’s annual Bay Day. The historic schooner AJ Meerwald takes on passengers three times during the afternoon for short trips over oyster beds. Crab picking, tug-of-war, line throwing, and knot tying are among the games lined up on shore. Local authors alsowill be on hand, and there is a mural for children.(856) 785-2060;bayshorecenter.org/

- Joseph P. Smith

16. Cruise Down Memory Lane, Vineland

CHROME-PLATED DREAMS:Vintage and exotic cars will line Landis Avenue when the Cruise Down Memory Lane returns to downtown Vineland from 5 to 9 p.m. June 8. The rain date is from 2 to 5 p.m. June 9. Theevent is expected to attractmore than 1,000 American cars and is open to street rods, muscle cars, stock or custom classics, rat rods and cruisers. Main Street Vineland, in cooperation with the Cruise Down Memory Lane Committee, will organize this 28th annual event. It will showcase about 1,500 pre-1975 vehicles, packinga visual catalog of American auto history along a mile stroll. It’s spit-shined chrome resurrection of teen dreams of the “American Graffiti” heyday. With food and music.TheAve.biz

- Deborah M. Marko

17.Atlantic City Blackjacks, Atlantic City

SUMMER PIGSKIN: Need to scratch that football itch before fall arrives? Check out the Atlantic City Blackjacks, the Arena Football League’s newest team. The Blackjacks have three home games remaining at Boardwalk Hall after Memorial Day, including a match-up with the Philadelphia Soul on Saturday, July 6at 7 p.m Visit the website for full schedule and ticket prices. acblackjacks.com

- JoshFriedman

18. Free concerts in the park, Camden County

MUSICAL FLASHBACK: David Crosby will kick off summer in Woodstock style with a free concert in Cooper River Park in Pennsauken on Saturday, June 1, sponsored by Camden County. The rock legend takes the stage at 8 p.m. The free concert kicks off a concert series celebrating the 175thanniversary of the founding of Camden County. The county works each year with music promoters BRE Presents to bring the freeconcerts series into the county parks system. Boz Scaggs will perform atthis year's Fourth of July celebration in Wiggins Park on the Camden Waterfront, complete with fireworks. For the summer lineup, visitcamdencounty.com/enjoy-camden-county/entertainment

- Tammy Paolino

19. County fairs, South Jersey

OLD-FASHIONED FUN: If one end of the end ofthe summer spectrum is jetting off for a big vacation, the other end is making time for a county fair. The joy of a county fair, with their agricultural exhibits, farm animals, small rides and funnel cakes, is that they are only once a year and relatively unchanged over time. Mark your calendars for July 2 to 6 (Cumberland County Fair, Milliville);July 16 to 20 (Burlington County Fair, Springfield Township)and July 25 to 28 (Gloucester County 4-H Fair and Peach Festival, Mullica Hill), and Aug. 6 to 9 (Salem County Fair, Woodstown).

- Tammy Paolino

20. Royale Crown Ice Cream and Grille, Hammonton

COOL OFF: All the ice cream is homemade at Royale Crown Ice Cream and Grille. This throwback joint on the White Horse Pike in Hammonton doesn’t just serve up the usual chocolate-and-vanilla treat, though: The seasonal ice cream menu features soft-serve and hand-dipped ice cream with fresh Jersey peaches, strawberries and—this being the Blueberry Capital of the World—blueberries. facebook.com/Royale-Crown-Homemade-Ice-Cream-and-Grille-Hammonton-New-Jersey-178984152137979/?rf=185617034820112

- PhaedraTrethan

Reporters Sheri Berkery, Anthony V. Coppola, Carol Comegno, Josh Friedman, Deborah M.Marko, Kim Mulford, Tammy Paolino,Carly Romalino, Joseph P. Smith, Phaedra Trethan, Jim Walsh, Celeste Whittaker contributed to our Summer Bucket List.