Looking Back at 2015 in Seaside Heights
2015 was quite the year for Seaside Heights. From the annual “QUE By the SEA” to the Mumford & Sons Stop Over Tour, the Seaside Heights boardwalk brought families of all ages to the boards for one exciting event after another.
Business Improvement District of Seaside Heights (Part 1)
As the warmer months of 2015 started setting in, families found themselves in a new and improved Seaside Heights. One full of classic storefronts renovated to their former glory, yet maintaining the classic charm that parents and grandparents remember from their youth. The list of improvements continued in 2015 with renovated shower stalls, bathrooms, and even new boardwalks after Superstorm Sandy and the devastating fire in 2014.
Starting off the season with a cold dip, Seaside Heights invited the bravest of the brave to join in the Polar Bear Plunge supporting The Special Olympics. Brave swimmers dunked their heads in the icy waters of the Atlantic in February preparing them for the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade. Quite possibly one of the best parades at the shore, Seaside Heights welcomed a green crowd that included the young, the old, and everyone in between to celebrate Irish heritage.
Soon after, Seaside Heights Boardwalk became the scene of baskets filled with Easter eggs (that were also buried in the beach), frilly dresses, and lots of bonnets in the Annual Easter Promenade.
Summer of 2015 officially kicked off with the Jersey Shore Festival in May. Families and music lovers enjoyed free admission to musical performances from over 350 artists from around the world, quickly making it the premier emerging artist festival in the Garden State, year after year! In June, the music kept coming as Seaside Heights hosted Mumford & Sons during their Gentlemen of the Road Stopover Tour in Seaside Heights. Thousands of fans enjoyed live music from some of the world’s favorite bands including Alabama Shakes, Dawes, Jenny Lewis, The Flaming Lips, and yes, Mumford & Sons. It was a weekend celebrating music and Seaside Heights that you can expect to be brought back (somehow, someway) in 2016.
Families continued to make countless memories at the boardwalk, enjoying annual events including Arts & Crafts by the Sea, movies on the Beach, bonfires on the beach, fireworks, and Family Fun Nights every Wednesday. And of course, no trip to Seaside Heights would be complete without taking a ride on some of Casino Pier’s premier rides!
In 2015, Seaside Heights even introduced under the full moon beach camping where beach goers got to spend the day and night on the white sand beaches. It was definitely a night under the stars to remember.
As for Jersey Shore foodies, there’s always plenty to eat during the year from established local restaurants that serve everything from boardwalk pizza slices to hot dogs, and even those sweet funnel cakes that make every trip to the shore a classic (pair that with a hole-in-one on the mini golf course and it goes into the books). With annual events including Hot Rods & Food Trucks, “QUE by the SEA” BBQ Festival, and the Italian Street Festival, there’s no reason why anyone would ever go hungry at the Seaside Heights Boardwalk.
Closing off 2015 was Seaside Heights’ holiday extravaganza, complete with the town’s annual Christmas tree lighting, Santacon, and Christmas on the Island and Parade. If that didn’t round out the year, the First Night Ocean County certainly did on December 31st
Business Improvement District of Seaside Heights (Part 2)
With all these events, clean beaches that are continually voted some of the best at the shore, delicious restaurants, family friendly entertainment, and a boardwalk that will make anyone smile, it’s hard to see how Seaside Heights will top 2015. However, just when you think it couldn’t get better, they still have more at the shore planned for 2016.