Atlantic City Events and Festivals
(Atlantic City, New Jersey - NJ, USA)
There is lots of variety in the festivals and events of Atlantic City and the surrounding towns, kicking off with the regular First Day at the Beach in Ocean City. Motor shows, boat shows and arts and crafts festivals are also on the calendar, while Atlantic City's New Jersey Fresh Seafood Festival is a must-see event for lovers of seafood.
Perhaps the biggest events in the Atlantic City area are the Atlantique City Spring Festival and Atlantique City Holiday Megafair, two massive arts shows held in the giant Convention Center. Below is a list of the main events, festivals and popular things to do throughout the Atlantic City calendar.
National Public Holidays
- 1st January - New Year's Day
- Third Monday in January - Martin Luther King Day
- 12th February - Lincoln's Birthday
- Third Monday in February - Washington's Birthday
- Last Monday in May - Memorial Day
- 4th July - Independence Day
- First Monday in September - Labor Day
- Second Monday in October - Columbus Day
- 11th November - Veterans Day
- 4th Thursday in November - Thanksgiving
- 25th December - Christmas Day
Calendar of Festivals and Events 2014 / 2015
January
- First Day at the Beach - January 1st, located just south of Atlantic City in Ocean City on the Music Pier, this annual event in the first day of the year features beach parties, games, ice dipping and a live band
February
- International Power Boat Show - early February, featuring hundreds of power boats and a marine market, this annual exposition is hosted by The Atlantic City Convention Center
- Owl Prowl - early February, held in nearby Mays Landing and the Atlantic County Park in Estel Manor, the Owl Prowl is a hunt for these elusive nocturnal birds as well as biking and hiking along the Great Egg Harbor River
March
- Recreational Vehicle Show - early March, an auto exposition of recreational vehicles in the city
- Atlantique City Spring Festival - late March, the world's largest indoor art, antique and collectibles show sees entrants from all over the world, including from Britain, Canada and China
April
- International Gift and Collectible Expo - mid-April, held at the Atlantic City Convention Center this children's event features collectibles, including rare teddy bears and dolls, as well as gifts from around the world
May
- International Auto Salon - third weekend in May, this West Coast-style auto show is aimed specifically at sport compact car owners and features some truly innovative and whacky designs
June
- New Jersey Fresh Seafood Festival - second weekend in June, this festival of seafood is held at Historic Gardner's Basin New Hampshire Avenue and the Bay and is a two-day event that attracts about 20,000 people every year to sample lots of scrumptious seafood along with an arts and crafts show and a concert
July
- Family Fun Weekend and Book Fair - mid-July, held in nearby Cold Spring Village the Family Fun Weekend has lots of entertainment, food and arts and crafts, along with the Book Fair
August
- Country Corn Celebration - early August, celebrated in nearby Cold Spring Village, this culmination of events makes for much fun and has a great setting
September
- Atlantic City In-Water Powerboat Show - second week in September, held at the Farley State Marina next to the Trump Marina Hotel Casino, this gathering of over 700 boats at this two-decades old event features lots of equipment and accessories and about 200 vendors
October
- Atlantique City Holiday Megafair - mid-October, another antique and collectibles fair held in the Atlantic City Convention Center and touted as the biggest of its kind in the world with exhibitors from nations the globe over
November
- Sherlock Holmes Weekend - first November weekend, celebrating the much loved English fictional detective at the Marquis de Lafayette Hotel in nearby Cape May and a look at the marvelous Victorian architecture of the town
December
- Cape May Christmas Candlelight House Tour - mid and late December, held in Cape May and involving a trolley tour of the Emlen Physick Estate and Carriage House Gallery along with food and drink in the nearby churches and homes
- Winter Wonderland in Atlantic City - mid-December, children will love to have their picture taken with Santa, followed by candy canes and hot chocolate