Family Promise Sunset Cruise to Raise Funds for Cape May County Families

Issue #790

August 27, 2026

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In This Cape May Local Scoop Issue…

 📆 Cape May Events

☀️ Cape May Local Weather 

 🚢Family Promise Sunset Cruise to Raise Funds for Cape May County Families

🚒 Summer Send-Off PointFest Celebrates Cape May Point’s Volunteer Fire Company

🐦 Why Cape May Is One of North America's Great Bird- Watching Destinations 

September 4th for Cape May to be featured in a Hallmark Christmas Movie

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

 August 27

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 Family Promise Sunset Cruise to Raise Funds for Cape May County Families

Family Promise of Cape May County will take to the water next month for its Annual Sunset Cruise, an evening of sightseeing, music and community support benefiting local families experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity.

The cruise is scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. aboard the American Star. Guests will depart from South Jersey Marina, 1231 Route 109 in Cape May.

The three-hour event will give passengers an opportunity to experience a Cape May sunset from the water while raising money for Family Promise of Cape May County. The nonprofit works to keep families together during periods of homelessness by providing shelter, meals, resources and support aimed at helping parents and children regain stable, independent lives.

Passengers can enjoy light fare and purchase beverages from a cash bar during the cruise. The evening will also feature live island-inspired steel drum and calypso music from Steel:30 Bill.

Raffles are planned throughout the event, including a 50/50 drawing, adding to an evening designed to combine entertainment with fundraising for families in need.

Tickets can be purchased here, with proceeds benefiting Family Promise and its work with Cape May County families facing homelessness and housing instability. Space aboard the vessel is limited.

Summer Send-Off PointFest Celebrates Cape May Point’s Volunteer Fire Company

Cape May Point’s second annual PointFest will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 29, 2026, outside the Volunteer Fire Company at 412 Yale Avenue. The community street party features Mission BBQ, desserts and live music by the Capers, with proceeds supporting the all-volunteer fire company. The Cape May Point Volunteer Fire Company provides around-the-clock fire and rescue services despite operating in one of Cape May County’s smallest municipalities. Its coverage responsibilities are shaped by Cape May Point’s unusual geography, with the Atlantic Ocean, Delaware Bay and protected natural areas surrounding much of the borough and Lake Lily near its center.

Why Cape May Is One of North America's Great Bird-Watching Destinations

According to a recent article published by Avian Bliss, Cape May remains one of the country’s go-to destinations for bird watching, thanks to its location along the Atlantic Flyway and its remarkable concentration of migrating birds.

Cape May's beaches, wetlands and woodlands are famous for summer vacations, but twice a year the skies above the Jersey Cape become the setting for one of nature's great spectacles.

Sitting at the southern tip of New Jersey, Cape May occupies a geographic sweet spot along the Atlantic Flyway. The narrowing peninsula acts as a natural funnel, concentrating migrating birds before they continue their journeys. The result has helped establish Cape May as one of North America's best-known bird-watching destinations.

More than 400 bird species have been recorded in the Cape May area, and visitors don't have to travel far to experience dramatically different habitats. Beaches, dunes, freshwater wetlands, forests, salt marshes and open water are all found within a relatively compact area.

Cape May Point State Park is one of the area's signature birding locations.

The 244-acre park includes beach, dune, woodland and freshwater wetland habitats. Trails and boardwalks allow visitors to explore the property, while the Cape May Lighthouse provides one of the region's most recognizable landmarks.

A short distance away, the Higbee Beach Wildlife Management Area provides hundreds of acres of additional habitat along the Delaware Bay. Its combination of woods, fields, dunes, wetlands and shoreline makes Higbee especially important during migration. Songbirds can descend on the area during favorable spring and fall conditions, sending birders onto its trails early in the morning in search of warblers and other migrants.

The Delaware Bay shoreline also provides opportunities to see herons, shorebirds and seasonal waterfowl.

The Nature Conservancy's South Cape May Meadows Preserve adds another important habitat to the local birding landscape.

The preserve encompasses more than 200 acres of freshwater wetlands, dunes, meadows and beach habitat. Its wetlands and tidal areas attract herons, egrets and migrating shorebirds, while trails provide visitors with opportunities to observe wildlife without venturing far from Cape May's developed areas.

Together, Cape May Point State Park, Higbee Beach and South Cape May Meadows demonstrate why the peninsula supports such remarkable bird diversity. Each location provides a different combination of habitat within only a few miles.

Cape May's birding calendar changes dramatically with the seasons. Spring migration begins building in April and becomes especially active in May as warblers and other songbirds move north. Depending on weather conditions, migrating birds can become concentrated in relatively small areas.

Cape May is also known for fall movements of monarch butterflies and dragonflies, adding another dimension to the seasonal spectacle. On busy migration days, visitors may find themselves watching activity in nearly every direction.

The harbor, Delaware Bay and other protected waters attract ducks and geese, while species such as buffleheads can be found in the region during the colder months. Cape May's mix of coastal and inland habitats means wildlife watching continues long after the peak fall migration has passed.

For newcomers, Cape May Point State Park provides an accessible starting point. More adventurous visitors can add Higbee Beach and South Cape May Meadows for a broader look at the habitats that make the Jersey Cape such an important stop along the Atlantic Flyway.

Which notable Cape May building served as a hospital during World War I and was later used by the Navy and Coast Guard?

Which notable Cape May building served as a hospital during World War I and was later used by the Navy and Coast Guard?

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 Answer to the August 26th Trivia Question 

Which major event in 1962 significantly impacted Cape May's infrastructure, leading to the construction of a seawall and new promenade?

A) The Great Atlantic Hurricane
B) The March Nor’easter
C) The 1878 fire
D) World War II bombings

Answer: B) The March Nor’easter

The March Nor’easter, also known as the Ash Wednesday Storm of 1962, caused extensive damage to Cape May, including the destruction of its boardwalk and beachfront properties. This event led to significant reconstruction efforts, including the building of a seawall and a new promenade

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