SOMERS POINT — Despite outlooks that cast a shadow on his optimistic opinion, Public Works Superintendent Steve Hornig predicted that rain would hold off and the sun would come out for the city’s 37th annual Bayfest celebration April 25.
He was right on one count, at least, as the all-day festival along historic Bay Avenue was accompanied by temperatures in the low 50s, a stiff southbound breeze and gloomy, overcast skies but remained dry. The sun, however, was nowhere in sight.
Despite the uncooperative weather, thousands of people walked along the festival route, enjoying the sights and sounds of the city’s biggest party.
Mayor Dennis Tapp said as the drops started falling around 4 p.m., they told the vendors they were free to go.
“Considering what the weather was calling for all week, I thought it worked out very well,” he said. “It was a nice turnout of people and from what I can tell, the vendors were pleased and by 4 they were ready to call it quits.”
Linwood residents Dave and Lucy Corcoran were just excited to get out of the house following a long winter and cold spring.
“We had a really nasty winter and the weather’s starting to change. The weather forecast today isn’t so great, but this morning it’s dry so we decided to get out and go for a walk, see if we run into any friends or people we may know here, sample some good food and just get out and exercise,” he said.
Rocco Carraccio and Cadence Fitzgerald were serving up hot food from their food truck. The Mainland Regional High School graduates (2022) have two trucks that they take to festivals around the region.
“We’ll do like a burger tent, bacon tent and we do all sorts of local festivals, private parties, corporate catering, all that fun stuff,” Fitzgerald said.
Follow the smell of bacon to their truck this weekend at the Spring Block Party in Ocean City.
They said it was their second time at Bayfest.
“As long as it’s not raining, people still show up. So we’re excited to be back,” Carraccio said.
Eric Shenkus was busy slinging soda from Pirate Pete’s Soda Pop Co. for his 10th season.
“There’s always great food at these events. You always need a great drink to kind of go along with it,” Shenkus said, noting he had seven different flavors. “They’re all great sodas, all cane sugar-based, which is nice, good-quality ingredients.”
For $20, patrons got a steel mug and could fill it up all day, and bring it back at the next festival and fill it all day for $7.
Kevin Shebby and Sue Hozey were visiting from Audubon near Cherry Hill to take in the live bands.
“He likes the music, I like to shop,” Hozey said.
“There’s a great Grateful Dead cover band, Dead Reckoning, so I wanted to check them out,” Shebby said, noting it was raining last year and he hadn’t gotten a chance to hear them play.
He said they considered not attending this year but when it hadn’t started raining, they made the trip.
Barb Cheeseman was bundled up in her booth, Rising Pines, which sells original artwork inspired by the New Jersey Pinelands and Pine Barrens. She provides a portion of her sales to the Pinelands Preservation Alliance, a nonprofit dedicated to preserving the area.
While the event is not the drinking fest of days past, a new venture in town was there promoting its craft beer.
Cousins Brian Murphy and Tom Dooner, whose Bay Ave. Brewery is currently under construction at the corner of Bay and Maryland avenues, were selling merchandise and getting to know people.
“Bayfest is just a great time all the time, but you know, we haven’t had a chance to actually come out and introduce ourselves formally to the community,” Murphy said. “Unfortunately, we can’t sell any beer.”
They plan to brew and serve about 10 beers on tap as owners and operators of the brewery. There will be no food service, which requires a full liquor license, but Dooner said they are allowed to have food trucks on site.
“I’m stoked to the max,” Murphy said.
While the building has just been framed, it’s still months away from completion following a winter with snow on the ground for five weeks.
“The optimist would tell you August, the pessimist, which is me sometimes, would say September probably,” Murphy said of an opening date. “We’ll ease into it and be ready to rip for next summer.”
– STORY and PHOTOS by DAVID NAHAN/Sentinel staff
