Annual Island Beach State Park Beach Plum Festival Coming Up On Sunday

ISLAND BEACH STATE PARK, NJ - On Sunday, come celebrate all things beach plum, when the 20th annual Island Beach State Park Beach Plum Festival gets underway at 9 a.m. at several locations in the park.

This year’s festival will honor the memory of Ferd Klebold, a festival founder who died within the past year. Ferd could often at past events demonstrating the fine art of making beach plum jelly.

“The Beach Plum Festival is a tradition that celebrates the bounty of Island Beach,” said Bill Gwyer, president of the Friends of Island Beach State Park. “With the participation and support of visitors who attend the festival, we can continue our mission of improving and adding additional programs and events at this park.”

The beach plum is a shrubby tree typically found in coastal environments stretching from Maine to North Carolina.

Plants produce beautiful blossoms every spring and fruit in late summer and early fall. The fruit usually measures less than two centimeters in circumference, and its taste is a mix between a plum, strawberry and apricot. Although beach plums may be eaten raw, it often is used as a jam, jelly, marinade or dessert sauce, according to the state Department of Environmental Protection.

The festival features beach plum picking, jelly-making demonstrations, arts and crafts show, food, entertainment, children's games, bird banding demonstrations, environmental and nonprofit exhibits and kayak rides. You can even sample some beach plum ice cream.
For more information, call 732-793-5525 or e-mail www.info@friendsofislandbeach.org.

Although the festival is free, Friends of Island Beach State park members will be on hand if you want to make an $8 donation to help support the event, which is the group's main fundraiser of the year.

The volunteer Friends of Island Beach State Park formed in 1996 to encourage protection of the barrier island ecosystem and to enhance both educational and recreational programs at the park.

With more than 400 members, the group publishes and distributes 30,000 copies of the park’s Visitor Guide annually, has funded improvements to the park’s Nature Center and Interpretive Center, picnic tables, a beach camera, free Wi-Fi at Bathing Area 1, and installation of a state-of-the-art camera system to monitor an osprey nest at the park.

Last year, the Friends of Island Beach State Park provided $81,000 to support park programs and purchase needed equipment. Funds raised from the festival will help the Friends group to plant American beach grass to further enhance and stabilize dunes, among other needs.

For more information on Island Beach State Park, visit: www.nj.gov/dep/parksandforests/parks/island.html

For more information on the Friends of Island Beach State Park, visit: www.thefriendsofislandbeach.org

Here's a list of some of the vendors expected at the event

• Blind Bob's Pottery
• Crystal Creations
• Celtic Chairde Creations
• Colecraft
• Contemporary Silver Jewelry
• dad & me
• Dee's Doggie Deelights
• Donna J Mertz Photography
• Elizabeth Hopkins Designs, LLC
• Eovino Stained Glass
• Green Cow Studio Handcrafted Soaps
• Honeydee Aprons and Crafts
• Hutch Martin Photography
• Jersey Shore Publications
• M Resnik Creations
• Neckspressions
• Pop's Shop
• Raymond Hallgreen Photographer
• Seahorse Designs
• Ted's Art Glass
• The Drooling Dog Bakery
• Treasures of the Jersey Shore LLC
• 48 Paws Woodworking
• Carol Mindnich / Pelican 3 Photography
• Elaine lucas
• Foot Fashions by Pam
• Friendly Cottage
• Hank Sauce LLC
• In-Spirit Photography
• Jersey Girl Jewelry (Elizabeth Design)
• MM Images Photography
• Ocean Earth & Soul design
• The Gift Broker
• Jalma Farms
• Gift Broker
• Richard King
• Jo's Jelly Jar
• Waterbourne
• Donna Davis
• City 2 Shore
• Clark's Gifts
• Designs By Doris
• Lavender Lady
• Tastefully Simple
• Valerie's Gallery
• Waterbourne LLc

Images: Friends of Island Beach, New Jersey State Department of Environmental Protection