West Cape May Tomato Festival Returns This Weekend

Issue #796

September 02, 2026

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In This Cape May Local Scoop Issue…

 📆 Cape May Events

☀️ Cape May Local Weather 

🍅West Cape May Tomato Festival Returns This Weekend

🐶Dogs Take Center Stage at Cape May’s 9th Annual Rusty Nail Pageant 

🎡$4 Million Grant Will Help Wildwood Complete Boardwalk Rehabilitation

Four Days Remaining to Get your vote in for Cape May to be featured in a Hallmark Christmas Movie!

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

 September 2

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 West Cape May Tomato Festival Returns This Weekend

One of West Cape May’s quirkiest (and best) traditions returns this weekend as the borough celebrates its farming heritage with a festival devoted to all things tomato.

The annual West Cape May Tomato Festival will be held Saturday, Sept. 5, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Backyard Park, 732 Broadway, behind the West Cape May Fire House.

The community festival puts the tomato at the center of a day filled with locally inspired food, shopping and entertainment.

Visitors will be able to browse farm-fresh tomatoes along with handmade tomato-themed crafts and products. Vendors will also serve a variety of dishes inspired by the festival’s signature crop.

Live music is planned throughout the celebration, and a beer garden will be among the attractions for adults.

Beyond the food and festivities, the annual event celebrates West Cape May’s agricultural roots. The borough has maintained a strong connection to its farming history even as the greater Cape May area has developed into one of New Jersey’s best-known coastal destinations.

The festival also supports a greener West Cape May. Proceeds benefit the West Cape May Shade Tree Commission and its efforts to protect and improve the borough’s tree canopy and parks.

The Tomato Festival runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 5, at Backyard Park, 732 Broadway in West Cape May.

Dogs Take Center Stage at Cape May’s 9th Annual Rusty Nail Pageant

One of Cape May’s most playful late-summer traditions is returning this month as The Rusty Nail prepares to host its ninth annual Doggie Pageant.

The event is scheduled for Saturday, September 19, 2026, from 2 to 4 p.m. at The Rusty Nail at the Beach Shack, located at 205 Beach Avenue in Cape May. The outdoor pageant brings dogs, their owners and spectators together for an afternoon of competition while supporting a Cape May County animal welfare organization.

The annual event traces its beginnings to communications professional Lisa Johnson, who developed the idea for a Cape May dog pageant nine years ago. Since then, the gathering has grown into an annual tradition at the pet-friendly Rusty Nail.

Dogs receiving the most public support during the pageant’s preliminary social media voting will advance to the live competition.

The finalists will compete in three categories:

  • Best Style

  • Top Trick

  • Musical Chairs

One dog will ultimately emerge as the pageant champion and receive a $250 Rusty Nail gift card along with a doggie gift basket filled with treats and other items.

The event is open to spectators, giving residents and Cape May visitors an opportunity to watch the competition and cheer on the participating dogs. Owners of competing dogs must be present with their pets during the pageant.

Beyond the competition, the Doggie Pageant will raise money for Animal Outreach of Cape May County, which works to help vulnerable animals through shelter, care, adoption assistance and other services.

Animal Outreach representatives are expected to be at the event to collect donations and provide information about the organization’s programs, including adoption and spay-and-neuter efforts.

The combination of dogs, the Cape May beachfront setting and support for local animal welfare has helped the pageant become a recurring September event at The Rusty Nail.

Event Details

What: 9th Annual Rusty Nail Doggie Pageant
When: Saturday, September 19, 2026, 2–4 p.m.
Where: The Rusty Nail at the Beach Shack, 205 Beach Avenue, Cape May, NJ 08204
Beneficiary: Animal Outreach of Cape May County

$4 Million Grant Will Help Wildwood Complete Boardwalk Rehabilitation

Wildwood has received a $4 million Economic Development Authority grant to complete its multi-year boardwalk rehabilitation project. The funding will support the final stages of Wildwood’s multi-year effort to reconstruct and repair aging portions of the boardwalk. The rehabilitation has focused on improving the heavily traveled structure while using durable materials designed to withstand coastal weather and significant pedestrian traffic. Portions of the project have incorporated cumaru, a dense hardwood sometimes referred to as Brazilian teak.

The city also secured renewed Plan Endorsement and Center Designation status from the New Jersey State Planning Commission, expanding the amount of city property eligible for development under the applicable framework from approximately 3% to 80%.

 Answer to the September 1st Trivia Question 

Which of the following is true about Cape May, New Jersey?

A) It was once home to the largest hotel in the world, which burned down before its completion.
B) Cape May is famous for producing diamonds that are sold locally.
C) The entire city is designated as a National Historic Landmark due to its Victorian architecture.
D) All of the above.

Answer: D) All of the above.

Cape May is known for its rich history, including the unfortunate burning of the Mount Vernon Hotel, which was designed to be the largest hotel in the world at the time. Additionally, the city is famous for "Cape May diamonds," which are quartz pebbles found on its beaches. The entire city is also designated as a National Historic Landmark, largely due to its well-preserved Victorian architecture​

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