Jersey ShoreGUIDE

Specialty Events at the Jersey Shore

Unique events like polar bear plunges, lighthouse tours, and special occasions

19Events
3Major Festivals
10Free Events
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19

Events

3

Major Festivals

10

Free Events

7

Months Active

Destination Specialty Events

Major specialty events worth planning your trip around.

Major Event

Wildwood Polar Bear Plunge

Wildwood, Cape May County

$110-$125 fundraising minimum

January 17, 2026

Registration 10am-12:45pm, Plunge at 1pm

20th anniversary milestone plunge raising funds for Special Olympics NJ at Wildwood Beach.

Highlights

20th Anniversary celebration3,000+ plungers expectedSpecial Olympics NJ fundraiserPost-plunge lunch included
👥3,000+ plungers
Major Event

Polar Bear Plunge at Seaside Heights

Seaside Heights, Ocean County

$100 minimum fundraising

February 28, 2026

Plunge at 1pm

NJ's largest polar bear plunge with 7,500+ plungers raising $2.5M for Special Olympics.

Highlights

NJ's largest polar bear plunge7,500+ plungers100,000 spectators$2.5M+ raised for Special Olympics
👥7,500 plungers, 100,000 spectators
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦Major Event

Wildwoods International Kite Festival

Wildwood, Cape May County

Free

May 22-25, 2026

Fri noon-9pm, Sat-Sun 9am-6pm, Mon indoor exhibition

North America's largest kite festival with world-class flyers, night fly, and indoor exhibition.

Highlights

Largest kite festival in North AmericaWorld-class international kite makersFriday night illuminated kite fly at 9pmGiant inflatable kites and team flying
👥50,000+

Major Specialty Events

January 14-18, 2026|Various times

Multi-day music festival featuring rock legends at Asbury Park's iconic venues.

25th annual
February 25 - March 1, 2026|Wed-Fri Noon-8pm, Sat 10am-8pm, Sun 10am-6pm

Largest indoor boat show in region with hundreds of boats on display.

👥35,000+
February 25 - March 1, 2026|Wed-Fri 12-8pm, Sat 10am-8pm, Sun 10am-6pm

Nearly 500 boats on display at the convention center—the region's premier boat show.

May 23-25, 2026|All day

Memorial Day weekend launch of summer with fireworks, rides, and entertainment.

👥50,000+
May 28-30, 2026|All day

Aerial demonstrations and beach celebration over Memorial Day weekend.

✈️
Free

Wildwoods Airshow

Wildwood

September 12-13, 2026|11am-4pm

Free two-day beach airshow featuring military jets, vintage planes, and aerobatic performers.

👥400,000+
September 10-13, 2026|Various hours

New model debuts in-water at Farley State Marina—see boats as they're meant to be.

Local Specialty Events

🏈

Ocean City Sports Memorabilia Show

Ocean CityApril 25-26, 2026

Ticketed
👯‍♀️

Girls' Weekend Ocean City

Ocean CityApril 10-12, 2026

Ticketed
Free
🎉

Downbeach Summer Fest

Ventnor CityJuly 12-14, 2026

Free
🛩️

Ocean City Airport Festival & Aerobatic Show

Ocean CitySeptember 19-20, 2026

Free

Specialty Events by Month

Specialty Events by County

Monmouth County

3

events

Light of Day Winte...Old Time Baseball ...

Ocean County

1

events

Polar Bear Plunge ...

Atlantic County

9

events

Atlantic City Boat...Discover Boating A...

Cape May County

6

events

Wildwood Polar Bea...Wildwoods Internat...

Frequently Asked Questions

What specialty events are there at the Jersey Shore?

The Jersey Shore hosts 19 specialty events throughout the year. Unique events like polar bear plunges, lighthouse tours, and special occasions

When is the best time for specialty events at the shore?

Specialty Events events happen throughout the year, with events in January, February, April, May, June, July, September.

Are there free specialty events at the Jersey Shore?

Yes, 10 of the 19 specialty events at the Jersey Shore are free to attend.

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