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Cape May Plans Evening of Music, Games, and Community Spirit for National Night Out

Issue #763

July 31, 2026

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In This Cape May Local Scoop Issue…

 📆 Cape May Events

☀️ Cape May Local Weather

♫ Cape May Plans Evening of Music, Games, and Community Spirit for National Night Out

🏒Flyers Community Caravan Bringing Gritty to Cape May

 🧴53-Year-Old Message in a Bottle Reunites New Jersey Family With Childhood Memory

Cape May Local Scoop’s Events Are Sponsored By: Survivors of Cancer

👇 Here’s what’s going on in the Cape May Local Area👇  

 July 31

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Cape May Plans Evening of Music, Games, and Community Spirit for National Night Out

Families throughout Cape May will gather outside Convention Hall on Tuesday, Aug. 4, for the city's annual National Night Out celebration, an evening dedicated to community engagement, family activities, and public safety awareness.

The free event will take place from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at 714 Beach Ave. and will feature a wide range of activities for residents and visitors of all ages. Organizers have planned beach games, bounce houses, prize giveaways, and complimentary food and refreshments, including hot dogs, pizza, candy, and drinks.

Live entertainment will be provided by the band Animal House, while an indoor magic show will run from 7 p.m. until 8:30 p.m.

Representatives from the Cape May Police Department, Cape May Fire Department, and the U.S. Coast Guard will also be on hand with displays and demonstrations highlighting their work in the community.

The evening will conclude with a special drone show over the beach immediately following the main event.

National Night Out is designed to strengthen relationships between local residents, law enforcement agencies, and emergency responders while providing a fun and welcoming atmosphere for families.

Event Information

  • Date: Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2026

  • Time: 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

  • Location: Outside Cape May Convention Hall, 714 Beach Ave., Cape May, New Jersey

  • Admission: FREE!

 

Flyers Community Caravan Bringing Gritty to Cape May

Philadelphia Flyers fans will have the opportunity to meet Gritty, interact with team alumni and enjoy hockey-themed activities when the Flyers Community Caravan returns this summer with a stop in Cape May.

The free event series will travel to five locations across the Philadelphia region, began July 29 at the Flyers Training Center in Voorhees and will visit Cape May, Mays Landing, Ocean City and Exton through Aug. 19.

The Cape May event is scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 4, from 2 to 4 p.m. on the Great Lawn at Congress Hall, 200 Congress Place.

Each Community Caravan stop will feature appearances by Gritty, Flyers alumni, members of the Flyers Ice Team and in-arena host Everett Jackson. Fans can participate in interactive hockey games and activities while enjoying a variety of free giveaways.

Promotional items available while supplies last include Gritty beach towels, tote bags, visors, beverage koozies and memo pads. Select Community Caravan locations will also feature a pop-up shop offering official Flyers merchandise.

The 2026 Community Caravan schedule includes:

  • Aug. 4: Congress Hall Great Lawn, Cape May

  • Aug. 5: Mays Landing Ball Hockey, Mays Landing

  • Aug. 6: Ocean City Sports & Civic Center

The Flyers Community Caravan is free and open to the public.

53-Year-Old Message in a Bottle Reunites New Jersey Family With Childhood Memory

A handwritten message sealed inside a glass bottle and launched into the Atlantic Ocean from Ocean City, New Jersey, in 1973 has resurfaced more than five decades later, bringing an unexpected connection to the family behind it.

The bottle was discovered during a June wetlands cleanup in Upper Township by John Kauterman, co-founder of the nonprofit Tidelands Initiative. Inside was a note dated Aug. 20, 1973, telling the fictional story of a child being held captive by sponge fishermen and forced to dive in shark-filled waters, complete with a plea to contact her family.

The imaginative message was created by Laurie Blair when she was just 9 years old. While spending the day at the beach with her older sister, their mother suggested they write a message in a bottle for fun. Laurie invented the dramatic story, and her sister wrote it down before the pair tossed the bottle into the ocean.

After finding the bottle, Kauterman shared photos of the discovery on social media in hopes of identifying its author. The post eventually reached Laurie’s sister, who confirmed the note’s origin and remembered Laurie’s vivid imagination and playful creativity.

The discovery also carried an emotional note. Laurie died of cancer in 2017 after building a life centered on creative pursuits, including theater, photography, jewelry-making, and blogging.

Her sister plans to preserve the original letter in a shadow box as a keepsake, giving the childhood memory a permanent place in her home.

The story is filled with remarkable coincidences. Laurie released the bottle nine years after she was born, and it was found nine years after her death. Kauterman and Laurie also happened to share the same birthday.

Kauterman said uncovering decades-old glass bottles during cleanup efforts is not uncommon, with vintage debris often appearing alongside modern trash. Through the Tidelands Initiative, he hopes to continue removing litter from South Jersey’s wetlands while protecting the region’s fragile coastal habitats.

Cape May is located at the southern tip of which New Jersey geographic feature?

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 Answer to the July 30th Trivia Question

Which of the following is a notable aspect of Cape May’s cultural history?
A) It was the first U.S. city to host the Summer Olympics
B) It was a vacation destination for African American visitors at a time when many resorts were segregated
C) It was the birthplace of jazz music in America
D) It was the site of the first U.S. stock exchange outside New York City

Answer: B) It was a vacation destination for African American visitors at a time when many resorts were segregated.

Cape May developed a significant African American cultural presence with Black‑owned hotels, boarding houses, and entertainment venues serving Black tourists in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

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