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Weekly Roundup 08/12/25

Weekly Roundup 08/12/25

Surf & Turf Seafood Festival, West End Cruise Night & Classic Car Show, Tie Dye & Movie Night, Coffee & Sensory Play at Corral, Live Music Lowdown

Sophie Prince
August 12, 2025

Good morning, Monmouth County. If you haven’t heard, Asbury Ale House is making moves and expanding with a second location in Howell this fall. Same great brews and bites, just a new zip code to make weekend plans a little easier. Howell locals, get ready to upgrade your hangout spot. Cheers to cold beers and fewer “What’s for dinner?” debates!

On the docket:

Surf & Turf Seafood Festival: Surf, Turf, and Seconds, Please
West End Cruise Night & Classic Car Show: Rev Up Your Evening
Tie Dye & Pixar Under the Stars
Coffee, Sensory Play & Sunshine at Coffee Corral
Live Music Lowdown

Surf & Turf Seafood Festival: Surf, Turf, and Seconds, Please

If you need an excuse to get out of the house that doesn’t involve a playground, Monmouth Park’s Surf & Turf Seafood Festival is happening August 16 & 17 and it’s basically summer on a plate. From 11 AM to 5 PM, you can work your way through lobster rolls, crab cakes, shrimp, and all the good stuff, while the kids burn energy on pony rides, bounce houses, and face painting.

There’s live music both days with Saltwater Country on Saturday and Pez Head on Sunday, plus seltzer samples for the grown-ups, free parking, and live racing starting at 12:50 PM. Tickets are $6 and kids 12 and under are free.

So round up your crew, grab a lobster roll in one hand and a drink in the other, and let the track be your happy place for the weekend because nothing says “family bonding” like a pony ride followed by a plate of crab cakes.

More information and tickets for purchase here!

West End Cruise Night & Classic Car Show: Rev Up Your Evening

On Saturday, August 16, from 6 to 10 PM, Brighton Avenue in Long Branch turns into the Shore’s coolest open-air garage. Picture gleaming hot rods, vintage rides, and custom classics cruising past pastel storefronts—basically, car eye candy with a side of ocean breeze.

Music kicks off with the Motor City Revue around 6:30 PM, then the Bob Burger Band takes over around 8:15 PM. It’s like a time machine with a soundtrack, minus the weird hairdos.

Grab a lawn chair, rally your crew, or just stroll and pretend you know the difference between a ’57 Chevy and a ’69 Camaro. Either way, this is the weekend party you didn’t know you needed—just on a Sunday, so you can still hit Monday like a champ.

Tie Dye & Pixar Under the Stars

If you’re looking for a night out that keeps the kids busy and doesn’t cost a thing, the Middletown Arts Center has you covered on Thursday, August 21 from 6:30 to 9:30 PM. First up: a full-on tie dye party. They’ll bring the supplies, you bring whatever you want to dye—shirts, socks, headbands, maybe that plain tote bag you’ve been meaning to “spruce up.” The kids will think it’s art, you’ll think it’s 90 minutes of peace.

Once the sun goes down, grab your blanket or beach chair and settle in for a free outdoor screening of Inside Out 2. It’s PG, it’s heartwarming, and it might hit you right in the feelings…just pretend you got something in your eye.

No registration, no fee, just show up with your crew and a snack. Bonus: the kids go home with something they made, and you go home with zero dye splatters on your countertops.

Click here for more details!

Coffee, Sensory Play & Sunshine at Coffee Corral

On Saturday, August 16th & 23rd the Coffee Corral in Red Bank is throwing the perfect morning for parents and kids. From 9 to 9:45 AM, littles ages 6 months to 6 years can dive into Seaside Sensory Play—scooping, squishing, and generally making a mess that you don’t have to clean up.

Live music starts at 10 AM, so while the kids are happily occupied, you can sip your latte, chat with other parents, and pretend you’ve had a full night’s sleep. Tickets are sold per child, seating is limited, and the caffeine supply endless.

It’s outdoors, it’s low-stress, and it’s the rare event that’s equally fun for toddlers and tired adults.

Grab your tickets here!

Live Music Lowdown

Wednesday, August 13
The Proving Ground, Highlands | Guns for Hire | 5:30 PM – 9 PM