Shopping At New Jersey’s Southern Shore:
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Rethink the way you shop for the holidays: Shop local, Shop small at the Jersey Cape!
If you are headed to the shore for a quick getaway, we would like to recommend a few of our favorite shopping events taking place at the Jersey Cape!

Plan a weekend with a few of your gal pals at Girls Weekend in Sea Isle City set for Nov. 17-19. Mark your calendars to take advantage of huge discounts on dining, salon and fitness services and boutique items. www.seaislechamber.com

Shopping in your pajamas sounds dreamy… right? Ocean City retailers are encouraging shoppers to wear their finest or funniest sleep wear to the “Earlier than the Bird” Downtown Shopping Extravaganza” on Saturday, Nov. 18. Jump start your holiday at this early bird event on the weekend before Thanksgiving and enjoy shopping specials from 8 a.m. to Noon. Don’t forget, you are allowed to wear your pajamas!

Beginning Nov. 18 and continuing until Dec. 23, shoppers will enjoy free horse and carriage rides every weekend in downtown Ocean City. The city’s retail district on Asbury Avenue will be transformed into “Miracle on Asbury Avenue” complete with beautifully decorated shops, fashion boutiques, art galleries, cafes, artisan ice cream, bakeries and more to browse and enjoy. www.oceancityvacation.com

This year, if you want to find the perfect gift and avoid potential shipping delays, tis the season to shop local! On Saturday, Nov. 25, many of the downtowns at the Jersey Cape will celebrate Shop Small Business Saturday. There is no time like the present to find your way downtown, to start a new tradition and to shop local. You may be surprised how many items on your list are offered by the local retailers.

Shop Small Business Weekend in Sea Isle City, Nov. 24-26. Throughout the town, businesses will offer deals, discounts, and holiday hospitality as you stroll from store to store to kick off the season. Customers who spend $25 or more at participating businesses on Friday and Saturday will be entered to win a flat screen TV courtesy of the Sea Isle Chamber of Commerce and Revitalization. www.seaislechamber.com

Make your way to Avalon for Festive Friday and Snowfest and neighboring Stone Harbor Saturday, Nov. 24-25. Embrace the holiday season with live music, performances, and children’s activities to enjoy throughout the shopping district. www.visitavalonnj.com

Bring the family to Santa’s summer home in Stone Harbor and enjoy a variety of activities to celebrate the holidays on 96th St. in the resort including a Holiday Hospitality Night. On Fri., Nov. 24, enjoy a festive evening sipping & shopping your way throughout our wonderful small businesses. Bring your holiday shopping lists and shop small. On Sat. Nov. 25, enjoy Stone Harbor’s Christmas Parade make its way down 96th St.

The Greater Wildwood Chamber of Commerce will transform downtown Wildwood into a completely outdoor holiday shopping experience on Sat., Nov. 25. The Wildwoods Holiday Shopping Village will take place at Byrne Plaza located at 3400 Pacific Ave. from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Check your shopping list once, twice, or more with dozens of local small business vendors and local artisans specializing in jewelry, handcrafted items, holiday decorations, baked goods, boutique shops, gifts and more. Visitors will enjoy live entertainment, music, raffles and more. Contact Greater Wildwood Chamber of Commerce at 609-729-4000 or on FACEBOOK @Wildwoods Holiday Shopping Village. www.gwcoc.org

Nothing beats a day of browsing local shops or snagging a great bargain.
DUNE DRIVE IN AVALON: From a beach towel to the latest fashions, shopping in Avalon is fun, convenient… and cooler by a mile. The resort is comfortable even on the warmest summer days, and browsing along Dune Drive includes cool deals with beautiful sidewalks, shade trees, benches, and attractive store fronts for a little self-indulgence! Keep your quarters in your pocket – it’s the only seashore community where all parking is free. No parking meters, no paid parking lots. The 7 Mile Business Community Association hosts a variety of events through the summer and into the quiet season with a “Festive Friday” celebration the day after Thanksgiving, followed by “Snowfest Saturday." Check out Shop-A-Holics Weekend the first weekend in March. The largest winter shopping event at NJ’s Southern Shore is hosted by Avalon’s business community and features merchandise from the very best boutiques on the Seven Mile Island - all in one location and at deep discounts. You gotta love it - designer fashions, house wares, shoes, accessories and more. www.visitavalonnj.com

96th STREET IN STONE HARBOR: Radiates a vibe that is utterly wholesome and decidedly upscale. A short stroll and you're captivated by the town’s charm. The resort is a neighborhood of unexpected shopping finds - gorgeous jewelry that's the real deal, designer duds, and unique home decor - all within a two-block radius with more than a hundred boutiques, shops and galleries. Centered on 96th Street and Third Avenue, the area is dotted with wrought-iron flower boxes, an old town clock and dozens of highly-lacquered black benches. So relax and savor everything Stone Harbor has to offer – this is your kind of place! www.stoneharbornj.org

ASBURY AVENUE IN OCEAN CITY: Called “The Avenue,” Asbury Avenue is Ocean City’s Downtown shopping district. With over 100 shops and cafes, your choices are many on Asbury Avenue. Lined with distinctive shops, restaurants and attractions, your shopping trip down the shore is so much more than t-shirts, swimsuits and shell necklaces? Ocean City does have a variety of novelty shops that offer the latest seaside fashions and novelties. The district also features art galleries, imported furniture, artisan ice creams and bakeries, fine fashion, exquisite dining and more! Try out a new look from one of the family-owned retailers or get your surf on at one of the local surf shops. Stainton’s, Asbury Ave. between 8th and 9th streets, offers a collection of over 70 distinctive shops with an array of unusual and unique merchandise – jewelry, candles, art, apparel, furnishings, pottery and more. www.staintons.com

WASHINGTON STREET MALL: The pedestrian Mall stretches from Ocean to Perry streets, anchored on one end by the beautiful Our Lady Star of the Sea Church and on the opposite end by Congress Hall, itself an integral part of the town's storied past – with some delightful shops inside. Small, independent shops line both sides of the 3-block mall – with additional shops on Carpenter Lane behind the Mall, as well as across Ocean Street in Washington Commons. Leave the car in the driveway, at the hotel or in the parking lot and walk around Cape May, the nation's first seaside resort. The Victorian architecture is whimsical, streets are lined with gaslights and the gardens are breathtaking. The Washington Street Mall still has historic buildings from the days when Cape May was the Summer White House for several presidents. Winterwood on the corner of Ocean Street is the former First Jersey Trust Company building that dates to 1895 and a boutique at Jackson Street was once the local drug store, Central Pharmacy, for decades. www.washingtonstreetmall.com

GLASSTOWN ARTS DISTRICT AND RENAISSANCE CENTER FOR THE ARTS: Millville has plenty to offer shoppers, book lovers and art aficionados. Glasstown Arts District and the Riverfront Renaissance Center for the Arts along with private art galleries and shops located in buildings with rich architectural histories. The artistic spirit is infused into the retail sector of the Glasstown Arts District shops. A cluster of eleven cottages offer a great selection including fine yarns, handmade jewelry and objects of art, and unusual gift items. Other shops in the district carry fashions specialty teas and gifts, home-made chocolates, handcrafted décor and jewelry and thousands of used and new books. Lunch and dinner are part of the day or evening on High Street. The district is known for its excellent selection of restaurants, cafes and pubs including the Old Oar House and Winfield's. Glasstown Arts District is the place to be on the Third Friday of every month from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. High Street in the district comes alive with live entertainment throughout the district. New art exhibits usually debuts on Third Fridays from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Shop the trendy shops for great sales, and definitely plan to stay later for dinner. The Riverfront Renaissance Center for the Arts displays creative work from Southern New Jersey artists and nearby metropolitan centers. A new show debuts on the Third Friday of each month with informal receptions for the public to meet featured artists. www.rrcarts.com www.glasstownartsdistrict.com

CUMBERLAND MALL IN VINELAND: Shoppers can check out a variety of local tourism attractions from Wheaton Arts and Cultural Center, the Millville Army Air Field Museum, the Cohanzick Zoo and other sites of interest in a display located near the food court entrance. The partnership between the mall and the county showcases things to do in the area and could lead to additional arts and heritage programming within the mall, a win-win situation for shoppers and visitors to Cumberland County. Plan to spend the day, browsing the latest fashion trends in such stores as Aeropostale, American Eagle Outfitters, Marshalls, Boscov’s and Victoria’s Secret. If you want to spend the day – enjoy lunch or dinner – Applebee’s, Red Lobster or Saladworks are among the choices. If you want to plan an evening out with the family, the Regal Cinemas are showing the latest movies. There is always something to do at the Cumberland Mall located at 3849 S. Delsea Drive in Vineland. www.cumberlandmallnj.com


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Supported in part by a grant from the New Jersey Department of State, Division of Travel & Tourism.