Things To Do In Ocean Acres

Surflight Theatre began its culture-spreading mission in 1950, with a shaky tent and a season only three weeks long. Although it has grown enormously since then, one constant remains—its steadfast commitment to the Beach Haven community. In addition to its regular artistic programming, Surflight also gives young performers a chance to tread the boards alongside Broadway professionals.

For more than half a century, Harvey Cedars Marina has hoisted sails and sent adventurers skimming across the waves of the Barnegat and Manahawkin Bays. Today, the business’s aquatic experts have traded in the folded-newspaper sailboats of yore for modernized Hobie Wave catamarans and LaserPerformance Sunfish. It also maintains a fleet of standup paddleboards and Hobie kayaks that cruise to islands, where paddlers gaze on osprey and cormorants or cast their lines for fluke and bluefish. In addition to renting vessels and teaching how to maneuver them, the staff runs a shop to equip mariners with their own Hobie cats and kayaks or outfit them with water skis, wakeboards, and inflatable tubes to mail to annoying cousins who live in the desert.

The team of tumbling instructors at KidZone help develop gymnastic skills in kids aged 1–18. Parents can join little ones for open-play sessions, and older kids can attend boys' or girls' classes divided by age group in a studio outfitted with tumbling mats, trampolines, uneven bars, and other equipment. Those interested in serious tumbling can pursue instruction through the Tidal Wave program, which introduces strength-and-endurance training. Students also could have the opportunity to eventually join the Riptide All-Star cheer squad, a competitive performance squad that trains at KidZone.

Held in conjunction with the Fall Harvest Festival, the Stafford Township Wine Festival showcases the samplings of local wineries, as well as food vendors, crafters, and artists. Now in its seventh year, the annual fest is held at Manahawkin Lake Park, running each day from 11a.m. to 5p.m. Admission includes a commemorative wine glass for visitors to take home, and all are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and blankets to enjoy live music and entertainment.