Sponsored by The Pet Salon
Families, it’s time again to bask in the warmth of the sun, escape winter hibernation, don your funkiest tie-dye t-shirts, and welcome the rebirth of spring!
On Sunday, April 27, the Margate Business Association, in conjunction with the Margate Community Church, Sustainable Downbeach, and Margate Recreation, will celebrate the arrival of spring with their 3rd annual Cherry Blossom Festival presented by The Pet Salon. The free, family-friendly event will feature kids’ games and activities, live music by Dead Reckoning, tasty treats, wine and beer, arts and crafts, a ‘grooviest dog’ contest, and a host of environmental exhibitors.
The festival will be held from 12 pm – 4 pm on Ventnor Ave. between Sumner and Union Aves., directly in front of the Margate Community Church. Everyone is encouraged to bring chairs or blankets to spend the afternoon enjoying the fresh air and relaxing with friends and neighbors.
ACTIVITIES
On the grassy grounds of the Margate Community Church, the Margate Recreation Department will host kids’ activities ranging from egg and spoon races to potato sack and three-legged races. There will also be Tossinten and cornhole boards set up for play and practice in anticipation of the upcoming Margate Cornhole League seasons. The church will also feature a petting zoo, kids’ games, and a children’s craft booth to keep the little ones active. Tai Chi instructor Gerri Medoff opens the festival with her low-impact demonstrations which are free for all participants eager to understand its meditative and health benefits.
LIVE MUSIC
The Grateful Dead tribute band Dead Reckoning returns to the Cherry Blossom stage from 12-4 pm to perform an inspired set of Dead favorites, with their recognizable harmonies and Bob Weir-esque fueled vocals and guitar effects.
FOOD & BEVERAGE
Food trucks, concessionaires, and Wawa will be on site with a wide variety of items to satisfy all types of appetites. There will also be a selection of beers, Ready to Drink beverages, and award-winning Banfi wines to sample and/or purchase.
There will also be a choice of beers, Ready to Drink beverages, Mr. Finger’s Alibi Gin, selections from Sunrise Wine and Tequila Bar, and award-winning Banfi wines to sample and/or purchase. In the spirit of the Cherry Blossom Festival, Banfi is also partnering their leading organic wine brand, Natura, with the environmental organization 1% For The Planet to help increase regenerative organic acreage throughout the U.S. and improve the health of the world’s soil; sales of Natura will directly benefit the environment.
CRAFTS & VENDORS
Margate Mothers welcome spring with cherry blossom paintings created by their little budding artists! The kids can celebrate the spring breeze by making their own cherry blossom windsock and let their imaginations drift in a secured area to play with chalk. Ribbon streamers will be available for purchase to help support future Margate Mother’s Association events. A limited amount of tie dye bandanas will be given out to the groovy early birds!
Sustainable Downbeach has assembled a collection of organizations featuring the Surfrider Foundation and their rain barrel demonstration, NJDEP AmeriCorps Watershed, Earth First Native Plant Nursery will display seed planting techniques, the Margate Terrapin Turtle Rescue Project, the Jacques Cousteau Estuary Research Reserve, Marine Mammal Stranding Center, and Busy Bees will all discuss the importance of protecting our wildlife, vegetation, marine life, oceans, and beaches.
