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More Than 20 Years Later, Best of Cape May Continues to Celebrate Local Favorite

Issue #797

September 03, 2026

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In This Cape May Local Scoop Issue…

 📆 Cape May Events

☀️ Cape May Local Weather 

🤩More Than 20 Years Later, Best of Cape May Continues to Celebrate Local Favorite

🦅Kiwanis Club, City of Cape May to Host Annual Patriot Day Ceremony 

🐶Family Hopes to Recover Childhood Comfort Toy Lost in Cape May or Wildwood

Tw 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 3

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 More Than 20 Years Later, Best of Cape May Continues to Celebrate Local Favorite

Cape May residents and visitors have once again weighed in on their favorite places to eat, shop and explore as part of the annual Best of Cape May reader poll.

Hosted by CapeMay.com, the contest has been a summer tradition since 2005. What began as a relatively small survey has grown considerably over the past two decades and now features more than 70 categories covering restaurants, shopping, entertainment, recreation and other Cape May experiences.

Voting takes place each August, giving readers an opportunity to select their favorite local businesses and destinations. For 2026, voting was held from Aug. 1 through Aug. 24.

This year's poll generated 723 submissions. Organizers spent two days reviewing and tallying the votes, standardizing variations in business names while avoiding assumptions when a submitted response was unclear.

Each category ultimately produced a clear winner — or, in some cases, two winners — with additional businesses and attractions receiving honorable mentions.

The survey continues to change along with Cape May's business community. Categories are reviewed and adjusted each year as businesses open and close and local trends evolve.

One change for 2026 followed the closure of Casale's, which previously competed in the Best Shoes category. Rather than continuing that category, sandals and flip-flops were incorporated into Beach Accessories.

Another adjustment involved the former Best Hot Dogs category. Organizers expanded it into Best Grab & Go, opening the competition to a broader range of quick-service favorites. The change also created a wider field for longtime favorite Hot Dog Tommy's.

Despite the annual updates, the poll maintains strong ties to its beginnings. Several businesses recognized in the survey's earliest years continue to appear among Cape May favorites more than 20 years later.

Today's categories span much of the Cape May experience, including restaurants, brunch, seafood, burgers, coffee and ice cream as well as clothing, antiques, jewelry, tours, activities and local entertainment.

The complete 2026 results highlight the businesses, attractions and experiences that readers selected as their Cape May favorites.

Kiwanis Club, City of Cape May to Host Annual Patriot Day Ceremony

The Kiwanis Club of Cape May, in partnership with the City of Cape May, will host its annual Patriot Day 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony on Friday, Sept. 11, at 6 p.m. at Cove Beach on Beach Avenue.

The ceremony will honor the nearly 3,000 people who were killed in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and aboard Flight 93.

Residents, visitors and local leaders are invited to gather for an evening of remembrance and reflection. Representatives from community organizations and local leaders are expected to offer remarks honoring the victims and recognizing the courage and sacrifice of police officers, firefighters, emergency medical personnel, first responders and others who worked to save lives that day.

The ceremony will also include a moment of silence as the American flag at the Cove is lowered. The flag-lowering traditionally marks the end of the summer season and will serve as part of the evening’s remembrance.

Organizers are encouraging members of the public to attend and bring beach chairs.

The Kiwanis Club of Cape May was established in 1923 and serves the local community through charitable programs, youth-focused initiatives and other service projects.

The Patriot Day ceremony is intended to provide the Cape May community with an opportunity to remember those who died, honor those who responded and reflect on the lasting impact of the Sept. 11 attacks.

Family Hopes to Recover Childhood Comfort Toy Lost in Cape May or Wildwood

We have all been there, while away on vacation, one of the littles misplaces or loses a cherished toy.

In this instance, a Michigan family is searching for a 21-year-old stuffed dog that went missing during a trip through Cape May and Wildwood.

The toy helped its owner cope with the loss of her baby brother and remained with her into adulthood. It has cloudy glass eyes, a soft nose and beads in its feet. The family knows the toy made it to Cape May during the trip but is unsure exactly where it was lost afterward.

The travelers also spent time in Wildwood and stayed at a hotel in Pennsylvania while traveling from Michigan. Ramirez believes the stuffed dog may have fallen from a vehicle without anyone noticing.

 Anyone with information can contact Cassandra Ramirez at 989-214-0745

Which of the following historic buildings in Cape May was designed by the architect who also contributed to the design of the United States Capitol?

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 Answer to the September 2nd Trivia Question 

What historic designation does Cape May hold that makes it unique among cities in the United States?

A) It is the oldest city in New Jersey.
B) It is the only city in the U.S. designated entirely as a National Historic Landmark.
C) It was the first city to have electric streetlights.
D) It is the birthplace of the U.S. Coast Guard.

Answer: B) It is the only city in the U.S. designated entirely as a National Historic Landmark.

Cape May is the only city in the United States that has been designated in its entirety as a National Historic Landmark, largely due to its extensive collection of Victorian buildings and the preservation efforts following several destructive fires in the 19th century.

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