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Cape May Comes Alive With Jazz as Exit Zero Festival Returns October 22–25

Issue #846

October 21, 2026

In partnership with

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In This Cape May Local Scoop Issue…

 📆 Cape May Events

☀️ Cape May Local Weather

🗣️Cape May Comes Alive With Jazz as Exit Zero Festival Returns October 22–25

 🦘Look Up! Orionid Meteor Shower Peaks Wednesday Night With Pieces of Halley’s Comet

 🏀Get Creative for Halloween at Atlantic Cape's Cape May Campus Pumpkin Pop-Up

Cape May Local Scoop’s Events Are Sponsored By: East Lynne Theater Company’s War of the Worlds The Panic Broadcast

War of the Worlds: The Panic Broadcast running through November 1

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

October 14

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Cape May Comes Alive With Jazz as Exit Zero Festival Returns October 22–25

Cape May will come alive with the sounds of jazz, blues, funk and New Orleans brass bands when the 2026 Autumn Exit Zero Jazz Festival returns Oct. 22–25, bringing internationally acclaimed musicians and thousands of music enthusiasts to the historic seaside resort.

The four-day celebration will transform Cape May into a vibrant music destination, with performances at Convention Hall, local restaurants, bars and outdoor venues throughout the community.

This year's festival features an impressive lineup of jazz legends, Grammy Award winners and rising stars, including Marcus Miller, Chucho Valdés, Kenny Garrett, Danilo Pérez, the Eddie Palmieri Experience, Michael Mayo and New Jazz Underground. The festival begins Thursday, Oct. 22, with a special opening-night performance, followed by three days of concerts, street celebrations and musical experiences continuing through Sunday, Oct. 25.

The festivities begin Thursday, Oct. 22, with Evans Meets Elling, a special benefit concert featuring acclaimed pianist Orrin Evans and Grammy-winning vocalist Kurt Elling. The performance will take place at Cape May Convention Hall and provide an opening-night showcase before the full festival schedule begins Friday. The collaboration brings together two highly regarded jazz artists known for their improvisational creativity and distinctive musical approaches.

One of the defining features of the Exit Zero Jazz Festival is its ability to transform Cape May into a community-wide musical experience.

Rather than limiting performances to a single concert venue, the festival spreads entertainment across multiple locations, allowing visitors to explore the resort while enjoying live music. Cape May Convention Hall, located at 714 Beach Avenue, will serve as a central performance venue and festival headquarters.

Additional performances are planned for the outdoor stage at Nauti Spirits Distillery and several local establishments, including Carney's, Carney's Other Room and Harry's at the Montreal Beach Resort.

The festival's club circuit offers a more intimate atmosphere, with performances featuring traditional jazz, contemporary sounds, blues, brass bands, funk and rhythm and blues.

Visitors can move between venues, discover new musicians and experience different musical styles throughout the weekend.

Among the festival's most anticipated attractions is the David O. Clemans Second Line, scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 24, at 11 a.m. along the Washington Street Mall.

The free public celebration will bring the festive spirit of New Orleans to Cape May, with brass musicians, lively rhythms and participants encouraged to join the procession.

Second-line parades are rooted in New Orleans musical traditions and are known for their energetic combination of brass instruments, percussion, dancing and community participation. The festival will also feature Brazilian drum bloco processions, student band performances and artist conversations presented in partnership with WRTI radio. These activities provide opportunities for audiences to engage with musicians beyond traditional concerts and experience jazz as a living, evolving art form.

The Exit Zero Jazz Festival has become an important part of Cape May's spring and autumn entertainment calendar. For many visitors, the festival offers an opportunity to combine a weekend getaway with world-class entertainment.

Between performances, guests can explore Cape May's historic Victorian architecture, visit local restaurants, sample craft beverages and enjoy the beaches and oceanfront scenery.

The festival's combination of internationally recognized performers and smaller local venues creates an experience that distinguishes it from traditional music festivals.

Look Up! Orionid Meteor Shower Peaks Wednesday Night With Pieces of Halley’s Comet

Skywatchers across South Jersey and beyond will have an opportunity to witness one of autumn’s most anticipated astronomical events as the Orionid meteor shower reaches its peak overnight Wednesday, October 21, into Thursday, October 22, 2026.

The annual meteor shower, created by dust and debris left behind by the famous Halley’s Comet, typically produces 10 to 20 meteors per hour under ideal viewing conditions. Known for their incredible speed, Orionid meteors travel approximately 148,000 miles per hour as they enter Earth’s atmosphere, creating brilliant streaks of light, glowing trails, and occasionally spectacular fireballs.

This year, a bright waxing gibbous moon, approximately 76% illuminated, could make viewing more challenging by washing out fainter meteors. However, brighter shooting stars should still be visible, particularly during the late-night and early-morning hours when the moon is lower in the sky or has set.

For residents of Cape May County and surrounding South Jersey communities, the best viewing opportunities will be in darker locations away from streetlights, businesses, and heavily populated areas. Beaches, open fields, and other unobstructed locations may offer favorable views, provided skies remain clear.

The Orionids are visible in both the Northern and Southern hemispheres, with the best viewing generally occurring after midnight through dawn. Although the meteors appear to originate near the constellation Orion, they can streak across nearly any part of the night sky. Experts recommend looking across a wide area of sky rather than focusing on a single constellation.

No special equipment is needed to enjoy the display. Skywatchers should dress warmly, bring a blanket or reclining chair, and allow 20 to 30 minutes for their eyes to adjust to the darkness. Patience is essential, as meteors can appear unpredictably throughout the night.

The Orionids also offer a remarkable connection to space history. Halley’s Comet, which last passed through the inner solar system in 1986, takes approximately 76 years to orbit the Sun and is not expected to return until 2061. Although the comet itself remains far away, particles it left behind continue to create the Orionid meteor shower every October.

The shower remains active through November 7, giving astronomy enthusiasts additional opportunities to spot shooting stars beyond the peak nights.

While moonlight and weather conditions may affect visibility, the Orionids offer a chance to witness fragments of one of history’s most famous comets illuminating the night sky. For South Jersey residents willing to stay up late or rise before dawn, the celestial display could provide a memorable autumn experience.

Get Creative for Halloween at Atlantic Cape's Cape May Campus Pumpkin Pop-Up

Atlantic Cape Community College's Cape May Campus will celebrate Halloween with a free Pumpkin Pop-Up on Monday, October 26, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Students can decorate miniature pumpkins and enjoy complimentary Halloween treats. The Student Life event is free, with activities and refreshments available while supplies last. Students interested in participating are encouraged to stop by during the scheduled hours, particularly earlier in the day, since supplies are limited.

Additional information about the Pumpkin Pop-Up and other campus activities can be found through the Atlantic Cape Community College events calendar

Which historic site in Cape May was recognized by the Travel Channel as one of the top 10 beaches in the United States in 2008?

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 Answer to the October 20th Trivia Question 

What is the historic significance of the Emlen Physick Estate in Cape May?

A) It was the first hotel in Cape May.
B) It is rumored to be haunted and offers Victorian-era tours.
C) It was the site of a major battle during the Revolutionary War.
D) It was originally a lighthouse.

Answer: B) It is rumored to be haunted and offers Victorian-era tours.

The Emlen Physick Estate is a Victorian mansion that offers a glimpse into turn-of-the-century living and is known for its rumored hauntings and various events such as tea parties and haunted house tours​

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