Auditorium Square Park. May 7, 2022., 9 am Paul Goldfinger photograph. © Click to enlarge

Auditorium Square Park. A fine location for small-town events. Paul Goldfinger photo. Click to enlarge the Beersheba fountain.

By  Paul Goldfinger, MD. Editor, Blogfinger.net

There was supposed to be a “Spring Fling” today sponsored by the “Ocean Grove Area Chamber of Commerce.”   The flier says “rain or shine,” but it is cancelled.  They are going to reschedule this event which would have had  200 “artisans and crafters.”  50 quality (juried)  exhibitors  would have been better and less congested.

And can’t we stop using the word “fling?”   Flinging was banned in 1869 along with “indecent” bathing suits.

So instead of the May mob,  we have a mellow rainy Saturday in the Grove.

There are two pieces of good news. One is that there would have been out-of-town parking and shuttle buses. The shuttle idea is old, but if the sponsors aggressively publicize the plan, then it can be a success rather than having empty buses going back and forth.

And the second is the plan to have it in Auditorium Square Park.  We need more events for the townies, held in the parks.  And bring the kids and the dogs!

We need more art shows in the Grove.  They were going to have live music,  but it was to be the same deja-two as before.  How about some musical variety?

The Chamber of Commercials has an ambitious schedule this season, but why are they allowed to so dominate our town during the nicest time of the year when the residents would like to reclaim the Grove for themselves, friends and families.

Here is the Chamber’s schedule:  Second only in congestion and crowding to the Camp Meeting Association’s massive programming.   And most of them require street closing.

The “Spring Flea Market” on June 4 , sponsored by the Chamber, is called the “Giant Flea Market” by the CMA.  Deceptive wording by the CC.

The Chamber’s motto is “the good life,” but for whom?  And BORING!!  We get two weekend car shows with Main Avenue shut down–do we really enjoy old cars that much?

When do the residents get to decide on what interests them?   When do they get to organize diverse, small town style events such as porch music, poetry readings, classical music or jazz by street musicians, small juried craft shows as in Chester, children’s outdoor theater groups, children’s secular programming, pony rides, food sampling,  bake sales. etc.

As for the Camp Meeting: Just pick up one of their “2022 Summer Programs.”  You will be amazed at the amount of tourist and crowd-based events all season long.

Besides their ambitious and dominating religious programming, they are sponsoring a “Giant Craft Show” on June 18  (the date of our Town-Wide Yard Sale—a mixed blessing) with 300 vendors.

But to give the CMA credit, they offer spectacular music programming, but thankfully none of them attract huge crowds except for the Choir Festival and the July 4 parade, but the music side of that parade needs improvement–how about a marching band or two?

Why can’t Neptune use some of our tax dollars to help finance the July 4 parade which is paid for by the CMA.  It is the best and most popular event in town and creates immense good will for the Grove.

And let’s make sure that all of Neptune is bused in to enjoy it also.

And while we are on the topic of small town spring events, for 10 years Blogfinger sponsored the Town-Wide Yard sale on the Saturday of the Mothers Day weekend.

But  in bizarre twists of weather-fate, we had rain, rain and more rain.  If we had continued with our plans, we would have been rained out again today, but we decided to switch to June—June 18.–the weekend of Fathers Day.   Congratulations to us as we pursue “the good life” in small town America focusing not on tourism, but on our residents.

We are counting on sun or at least no rain for June. 18, so help us set an example by planning a yard sale that day.  It would be impressive if we-the-people have a successful event of our own. The CMA won’t include us in their summer booklet. Help us publicize the event in town.

See the Town-Wide Yard Sale tab on top of this page.

OG Blogfinger Town-Wide Yard Sale. Paul Goldfinger action photo. ©

By the way,  Days is now open!  Today!

Days in Asbury.They used to have a branch on the AP boards. Undated photo from their Facebook page.

Ordering at the Days porch. We don’t sell alcohol in the Grove, but we have damn-good ice cream.  And sit on the porch—the people-watching is marvelous.  By Paul Goldfinger, summer 2021. ©  Click to enlarge the cones.  I like a small hot fudge sundae with rocky road ice cream, whipped cream, nuts, and a cherry.

“We are back for the 2022 season!! Our spring hours are Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from Noon – 10 pm.”🍦

ASTRUD GILBERTO: