Final Encore: Cape May’s Singer-Songwriter Showcase Will Not Return

Issue #819

September 24, 2026

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In This Cape May Local Scoop Issue…

 📆 Cape May Events

☀️ Cape May Local Weather 

 🦋Final Encore: Cape May’s Singer-Songwriter Showcase Will Not Return

 🚜From First Keg to Major Production: Cape May Brewing Marks Remarkable Growth

🏠 Cape May County Zoo to Host Conservation Day Oct. 3

Cape May Local Scoop’s Events Are Sponsored By: Shop Local

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

September 18

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Final Encore: Cape May’s Singer-Songwriter Showcase Will Not Return

One of Cape May’s longtime offseason music traditions has played its final set.

The Singer-Songwriter of Cape May Conference & Showcase will not return in 2027, bringing an end to an event that spent 14 years drawing musicians, music industry professionals and fans to the resort city during the traditionally quieter winter season.

Cape Resorts and conference co-founder John Harris announced the decision following the 2026 conference, which was held March 27 and 28.

First launched in 2008, the event grew into a fixture of Cape May’s offseason arts and entertainment calendar. It combined daytime music-industry programming with nighttime performances spread across downtown venues.

The conference operated annually through 2019 before going on hiatus during the COVID-19 pandemic. It returned in 2025 and again in 2026.

During its final years, daytime panels, workshops and other programs were held at Congress Hall’s Grand Ballroom and the Harrison Conference Center. At night, musicians performed at roughly 15 bars, clubs and other venues throughout Cape May.

Organizers said the conference brought thousands of musicians and touring professionals to the city over the years. More than 50 music industry professionals participated in its panels and workshops, while the evening showcases helped send performers and audiences into businesses across downtown Cape May.

The event's origins date to 2007, when Patrick Logue, then a Cape Resorts executive, attended Harris’ Millennium Music Conference in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

Logue saw the potential for a similar event to attract visitors to Cape May during a slower part of the tourism calendar. He and Harris subsequently created the Cape May conference, developing it into an annual gathering for emerging artists and music professionals.

The decision to discontinue the event follows Logue’s retirement after a 35-year career with Cape Resorts.

Organizers credited Harris, Logue and board members Maureen Harris and Carl Behrens with helping build and sustain the conference. They said the event became a place for emerging performers to make industry connections, reach new audiences and develop their careers while bringing live music to venues throughout the city.

Cape May's entertainment landscape has also changed significantly since the conference began. Local businesses and venues now offer more of their own music programming, while the city's offseason has grown busier.

At the same time, organizers said staging a large event centered on emerging artists has become increasingly difficult to sustain.

While the conference itself is ending, organizers believe its influence will remain visible in Cape May. The city's expanding collection of live music venues, performances and other events will continue serving the music community that developed during the conference's 14-year run.

For the Singer-Songwriter Conference & Showcase, however, the 2026 gathering marked the final chapter of a tradition that helped make live music part of Cape May's offseason identity.

From First Keg to Major Production: Cape May Brewing Marks Remarkable Growth

What began as a small brewing hobby has grown into a major player in New Jersey’s craft beer industry.

Since opening in 2011, Cape May Brewing Co. has expanded from a modest startup into New Jersey’s largest independent craft brewery, building a regional following while significantly increasing its production capacity and distribution.

Founder Ryan Krill started the brewery with his father, Bob Krill, and friend Chris Henke at a time when New Jersey’s craft brewing industry was considerably smaller. The company established its operation at the Cape May Airport and gradually expanded as demand for its beer increased.

Cape May IPA, the first beer produced by the founders, remains the brewery’s flagship and most popular offering. Over the years, the company has added numerous styles to its lineup while extending distribution beyond Cape May and throughout the region.

Visitors can sample beers at the brewery’s taproom, which has become a destination of its own for residents and tourists. The property also includes an outdoor beer garden that hosts live music and the Brewtique, where customers can purchase packaged beer and Cape May Brewing merchandise.

Behind the public-facing taproom is a much larger production operation.

Cape May Brewing expanded into a 15,000-square-foot production facility with financial support from longtime banking partner WSFS Bank. The facility uses modern brewing equipment designed to increase production while maintaining consistency with the company’s original recipes and quality standards.

Production runs around the clock five days a week, reflecting the scale of a company that began with a far smaller brewing system.

The brewery has also expanded its reach through distribution. Its products have become available at retailers, restaurants and bars throughout New Jersey and in neighboring markets.

Another major step came with Cape May Brewing’s 2023 acquisition of the assets of Flying Fish Brewing Co., a longtime New Jersey craft beer brand. The transaction further expanded Cape May Brewing’s presence in the state’s beer industry.

The company’s growth has unfolded alongside a much broader expansion of craft brewing in New Jersey. When Cape May Brewing opened, the state had only a fraction of the breweries operating today, giving the company an early foothold as interest in locally produced beer increased.

More than a decade later, Cape May Brewing has grown far beyond its beginnings while maintaining strong ties to the place that inspired its name.

For visitors, that growth is most visible at the Cape May Airport, where a brewery that started as a small local venture now combines large-scale production with a taproom, beer garden and retail operation — all centered around a brand that has become closely associated with Cape May and the Jersey Shore.

Cape May County Zoo to Host Conservation Day Oct. 3

Visitors to the Cape May County Park & Zoo will have an opportunity to learn about endangered wildlife while supporting conservation efforts during a special event this fall.

The zoo will host Conservation Day on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event will bring local organizations and community members together for a day of wildlife education, activities and fundraising benefiting endangered species.

Conservation-themed tables will be located throughout the zoo, with participating community groups representing different animals and conservation causes. Visitors will be able to stop at the displays to learn facts about wildlife, participate in games and activities and find out more about efforts to protect threatened and endangered species.

The event will also feature ambassador animal presentations and keeper talks at scheduled times throughout the day, giving visitors opportunities to learn directly from zoo staff about animals, their habitats and conservation challenges.

Conservation Day is designed to involve the broader Cape May County community in the zoo’s wildlife education efforts.

Local organizations are also being invited to participate in the event. Eligible groups include 4-H clubs, Scout troops, science clubs, sports teams, businesses and other community organizations interested in representing an animal and helping educate visitors.

The Cape May County Park & Zoo is located at 707 Route 9 North in Cape May Court House. Admission to the zoo is free, although donations are accepted.

Conservation Day runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 3 and offers families a chance to combine a day at the zoo with hands-on activities and opportunities to learn more about protecting wildlife.

What nickname is often associated with Cape May due to its architectural and historical significance?

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 Answer to the September 23rd Trivia Question 

What makes Congress Hall, a historic hotel in Cape May, especially significant in American history?

A) It was the first hotel in the U.S. to have an elevator.
B) It served as the summer White House for President Benjamin Harrison.
C) It was the site of the first U.S. national political convention.
D) It was originally built as a private mansion before becoming a hotel.

Answer: B) It served as the summer White House for President Benjamin Harrison

Congress Hall, built in 1816, is one of the oldest seaside hotels in America and served as the summer White House for President Benjamin Harrison during his administration​.

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