Top Things to Do in Cape May for the Christmas Holidays

Things to Do during Christmas in Cape May 2015

Cape May Christmas 2013 Get Into the Holiday Spirit and visit Cape May During the Holiday Season

Top 10 Things to Do for Christmas in Cape May

Spend a Holiday Weekend in Cape May for Christmas

Come to Cape May this Christmas to get in the mood for this Holiday Season. Cape May is transformed during the Holiday Season with decorated Victorian Homes, gaslit streets and holiday trimmings throughout the town. You can take a Christmas Trolley Ride or enjoy a special Christmas Dinner with your family and friends. The Cape May City Tree Lighting ceremony will take place on December 6th at 6:30 PM.  And always a holiday favorite , the West Cape May Christmas Parade will take place on December 7th at 5:00PM.

 To help plan your trip to Cape May this Holiday Season, you can download a brochure of Holiday Events from the Mid Atlantic Center for the Arts at the following link.

 

Cape May Christmas Top 10 List of things to do during the holiday season.

1. Here’s a list of things to do during the Christmas Holiday in Cape May
2. Take a Cape May Christmas Holiday Tour or Trolley Ride
3. Visit the Congress Hall and start a family tradition at the Winter Wonderland
4. Visit a Cape May Winery for a wine tasting tour
5. Do so Christmas shopping at the Cape May Washington Street Mall
6. Don’t forget to visit West Cape May for the Christmas Parade
7. Visit the Cape May Lighthouse for a spectacular view
8. Walk the beach and spend an afternoon at the Brown Room warming up at Congress Hall
9. Dine in Cape May at many of the gourmet restaurants open for the Holiday Season
10. Take a Santa Holiday Trolley Ride

Take a Lamplighter Take a self-guided evening tour of five of Cape May’s finest Bed and Breakfast inns or private homes, specially decorated for the holidays

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Complete your search for you Cape May Vacation and Check the local deals here to get the best price and save money on your next great vacation. With Cape May Resort Travel working with the world’s largest online travel agency Expedia , we make it easy to get the best prices on Cape May Hotels + hotel vacations.

Cape May 10 Things to Do For Christmas

Top Ten Things to Do during the winter in Cape May

Cape May NJ during the Winter Holidays

1. You can hike the beach and visit the Cape May Lighthouse and climb to the top for a great view, then retire for a Hot Chocolate and rum drink.
2. A few years ago we drove to the beach on New Years night and shouted Happy New Years! into the ocean. Bring a flashlight and bundle up against the wind. 
3. Go carolling. Make some small song books (lyrics only), and some candles with mitten-guards, then visit the relatives and their neighbors. 
4. Go shopping the West End Garage is open and the Washington Street Mall is decorated for the season and open for business.
5. Sit at a fire place at your favorite Bed and Breakfast Inn or Hotel, we prefer the bar and fireplace at the Brown Room in Congress Hall the official living room of Cape May.
6. Take A Candlelight Tour of the Victorian homes and Church's, you can get go on a self guided tour and pick up tickets from MAC.
7. Visit a Winery and enjoy a tasting event, we have several award winning Vineyards all within a 10 minute drive of Cape May.
8. Go shopping for that one of a kind Christmas Tree Ornament at Winterwood. This classic shop is a Cape May tradition with stores located in Cape May and Rio Grande NJ.
9. Eat Chocolate in Cape May,  Louisa just opened her new Louisa’s Chocolate Bar one stop away from Louisa’s restaurant. Specialty, hand-made chocolates from around the country. Our favorites are: Dick Taylor Craft Chocolates and Maison Bouche! This is a darling addition to the Cape May shopping experience. Pure decadence!! More information here
10. Stay at a luxurious Bed and Breakfast, sleep in and enjoy a cup of tea or Coffee in the morning.

If you are looking for more things to do in Cape May this winter click on the link here for some addtional ideas.

About Cape May and Cape May Resort.com

Cape May is a city at the southern tip of Cape May Peninsula in Cape May County, New Jersey, where the Delaware Bay meets the Atlantic Ocean. With a rich history, award-winning beaches & boating, designation as a top birding location, and many Victorian structures, Cape May is a seaside resort drawing visitors from around the world. Cape May was recognized as one of America's top 10 beaches by the Travel Channel and its beach was ranked fifth in New Jersey in the 2008 Top 10 Beaches.

CapeMayResort.com is a site that's totally dedicated to the historic Cape May Resort vacation area. We have two goals - to promote our beautiful town's local businesses and to assist potential visitors in finding anything they could want or need in and around Cape May.

This site is home to custom pages and video of easy to navigate information about Cape May- from restaurant choices to weather reports to local events in Cape May We also host a local Cape May Blog featuring  local events, Things to Do in Cape May, shopping and beach information and much more.   You can check out Blog at http://capemayresort.blogspot.com/

http://capemayvictorian.com CapeMayVictorian.com is a custom photo sharing site in which you can explore local Cape May images, download your favorite vacation spot or order a custom framed picture or a one of kind gift of your vacation memory.

http://capemayresort.com Cape May Resort.com is a local Cape May Web Site featuring Things to Do in Cape May, along with Cape May Digital Coupons for savings. If you’re looking for information and reviews for your next trip to Cape may, you’ve come to the right place. At Cape May Resort.com we’ll give you the most current information from Yelp and real time local You Tube Videos to preview your next vacation or week-end trip.  We offer the best in recent reviews from Real People with Real Reviews from Yelp.

http://capemayresort.blogspot.com/  Looking for Something to Do in Cape May New Jersey. Spend a day at the beach, or go Dolphin and Whale Watching. Visit a local winery or check out the lighthouse and sunken ship at Cape May State Park. Cape May offers beach lovers Victorian architecture, fine dining, bird watching, boating and fishing in addition to world class resort and vacation accommodations.  If you’re looking for information and reviews for your next trip to Cape may, you’ve come to the right place.Cape May Resort.com has been part of the South Jersey Cape May area since 1988. Let us put our local experience to work for you.

Atlantic Cape Employees Collect 400 Toys for Drive

Atlantic Cape Employees Collect 400 Toys for Drive

By Sponsored Content

COURT HOUSE - Each year, since the 1990s, Atlantic Cape Community College employees Lisa Apel-Gendron of Dennisville, Tom Clark of Ocean View and Denise O’Connor of Cape May, have coordinated a Toys for Tots Drive at Atlantic Cape’s Cape May County location.

“We’ve been doing this since we were at the Rio Grande location,” Apel-Gendron said, of the small store-front location that preceded the full-service campus the college opened in Cape May Court House in 2005.

Preparation starts early. By shopping after-holiday sales, the trio is able to purchase hundreds of items to kick off the drive for the following year.

“Denise, Tom and I scour the sales after Christmas, Valentine’s Day and Easter each year to find toys and stuffed animals on sale,” Apel-Gendron said. “My best score last year was purchasing stuffed bears at 90 percent off in late January.”

Apel-Gendron, Clark and O’Connor’s enthusiasm for the drive has inspired many Atlantic Cape employees and students to contribute. During the 2012 holiday season, Atlantic Cape’s Toys for Tots drive generated more than 400 donations.

“This is Tom’s last holiday before he retires from Atlantic Cape, so we wanted to make this donation the best one yet,” Apel-Gendron said.

Unique DIY Christmas Decoration Cape May Christmas

Unique DIY Christmas Decoration (via 21C Woman)

Christmas is the ultimate occasion that allows you to decorate the house in the most festive manner possible. If you’re one of the creative ones, a true do-it-yourself-er, a person with great imagination and a flair for the beautiful, the holiday season is where your skills can show best. Instead…

Winterwood Gift and Christmas Gallery

Winterwood Gift & Christmas Gallery is a full service gift shoppe with three locations. Come visit one of our extraordinary shoppes in Rio Grande, Cape May or Wildwood New Jersey - we would love to see you! Winterwood Gift & Christmas Gallery Rio Grande Shoppe 3137 Rt. 9 South Rio Grande, NJ 08242 Established in 1978, Winterwood in Rio Grande, NJ is our original store. We are located in the historic Hildreth House built in the early 1700's by one of Cape May Counties founding families. As you wander through our many rooms filled with home decor,art,gifts, collectibles and Christmas ornaments, be sure to notice the unique architecture of a 200+ year old colonial home. Make it a point to check out the mantel that was carved by Revolutionary war soldier, but don't be alarmed if you are visited by our resident ghost "Hester"!


Cape May Shoppe 526 Washington St. Cape May, NJ 08204 Our Cape May store is located in the anchor building on the Washington Street pedestrian shopping mall.The building, built in 1895 for the First Jersey Trust Company Bank has also served as city hall for the historic city of Cape May. We have two floors of gifts, art, hand crafted jewelry, home decor, thousands of Christmas ornaments and decorations.

Wildwood Shoppe 4020 Ocean Ave. Wildwood, NJ 08260 Our Wildwood store is in the beach town of Wildwood. Wildwood is well known for its Doo Wop architecture, wide beaches and boardwalk. Winterwood in Wildwood is our Doo Wop Christmas Shoppe!

Rio Grande Shoppe

3137 Rt. 9 South
Rio Grande, NJ 08242

Established in 1978, Winterwood in Rio Grande, NJ is our original store. We are located in the historic Hildreth House built in the early 1700's by one of Cape May Counties founding families. As you wander through our many rooms filled with home decor,art,gifts, collectibles and Christmas ornaments, be sure to notice the unique architecture of a 200+ year old colonial home. Make it a point to check out the mantel that was carved by Revolutionary war soldier, but don't be alarmed if you are visited by our resident ghost "Hester"!

The first of three Christmas Candlelight House Tours is set Saturday, Dec. 1 from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

CAPE MAY – The first of three Christmas Candlelight House Tours is set Saturday, Dec. 1 from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Every year since 1974, Victorian inns, homes, churches, and hotels open their doors and welcome visitors on self-guided tours, sponsored by the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts & Humanities (MAC).
Enjoy Christmas carols by candlelight, strolling musicians and vintage holiday decorations.

Featured properties include:

Beauclaire's B&B Inn, 23 Ocean St.; The Bedford Inn, 805 Stockton Ave.; Congress Hall Hotel, Congress Place; The Dormer House, 800 Columbia Ave.; The Emlen Physick Estate, 1048 Washington St.; First Presbyterian Church of Cape May, Hughes and Decatur Streets; The Henry Sawyer Inn, 722 Columbia Ave.; The Mason Cottage, 623 Columbia Ave.; The Mission Inn, 1117 New Jersey Ave.; The Primrose Inn, 1102 Lafayette St.; The Summer Cottage Inn, 613 Columbia Ave.; The Thomas Webster House, 933 Washington St.; and the Victorian Lace Inn, 901 Stockton Ave.

Admission is $25 for adults and $20 for children (ages 3 to 12). The tour is limited and organizers recommend tickets be reserved in advance by calling 884-5404 or             800-275-4278       or at www.capemaymac.org. Any remaining tickets on the day of the tour may be purchased at the Washington Street Mall Information Booth, Washington and Ocean streets. Additional Christmas Candlelight House Tours will be held on Saturdays, Dec. 8 and 15, from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Two hospitality centers, the Carriage House at the Emlen Physick Estate, 1048 Washington St., and the Episcopal Church of the Advent, Franklin and Washington streets, will be open from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., with warm beverages and traditional goodies. Free shuttle service on heated trolleys is provided throughout the evening.

Deck the Halls A Cape May Christmas

Deck the Halls A Cape May Christmas - Jean Barraclough

     A lot of people I know tell me that by the time Christmas actually gets here, they are sick of it…sick of the Christmas music, the decorations, the crowds (and probably sick of me saying how much I love it!). Obviously, I’m not one of them. I gear up the Friday after Thanksgiving and it’s all about Christmas from there to Dec. 25. I can’t even count how many sappy Hallmark movies I’ve already watched…even the ones I watched umpteen times before.

A Cape May Christmas

     Here in Cape May, one of my favorite Christmas events are the Christmas Candlelight House Tours. We do these on three Saturday nights, so you still have time to get in on the fun.
The first year I was here, I was on one of the trolleys. We run all five of our trolleys on a continuous shuttle all night, and a MAC staff person goes along to help people find the houses they want to see, and let them know what to expect at each stop.

     Naturally, my first year, I had only the slightest idea what houses were at each stop. I tried to blame it on the fact that I was riding backwards, facing the passengers, when I would blithely point out a particular inn to the right, only to have the driver whisper, “No, it’s to the left!” Thank goodness I had a driver who knew where he was going or those passengers might still be looking for the inns.

Christmas in Victorian Cape May NJ

     In other years, I was stationed at some of the inns participating in the tours. This is the best part of these tours: Not only do you get to see all the beautiful outdoor decorations that I just can’t get enough of, but you get to go inside these inns, too, something you normally wouldn’t get to do unless you were a guest there.
Cape May’s innkeepers are a breed apart when it comes to making people feel welcome. I don’t know how cheerful I could be as hundreds of people trooped through my house, but these folks are accommodating and pleased to show off their beautiful properties.

     For the past few years, I’ve taken a turn here at the Physick Estate, where the Carriage House is open as a hospitality area and for people to see the Christmas exhibit. I’m telling you, if you haven’t seen it this year, don’t miss it!

     We make coffee and hot chocolate, offer cookies, directions and suggestions on which houses to visit next. Remember, some of those on the tour are newcomers to town and they’re trying to find their way around in the dark.

Take a Tour in Cape May during Christmas

     What’s most special about it, no matter where I’ve been stationed, is the people on the tour who are infused with the spirit of the season. One Candlelight Tour a few years ago, we had a rainy night and people were coming in covered with plastic bags and anything else they could find to keep dry. But they were still having a good time.

     It’s hard not to. With the beautiful lights and decorations, the music, the warmth and welcome of the innkeepers and property owners, how can you not have a good time? This is the answer to the Christmas spirit that is jaded or just buried beneath mountains of life’s problems. Come to Cape May and come back to Christmas.

Jean Barraclough is director of marketing and communications at Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts & Humanities (MAC)

Christmas in Cape May, Get a head Start on the Season

Christmas in Cape May

November 16, 2012 through January 6, 2013

What better place to get into the true spirit of Christmas than Victorian Cape May? This seaside town is transformed into a Dickens village for the holidays with garlands of fragrant greens and twinkling gaslights. Wrap yourself in the warmth of holiday spirit and sample a seemingly endless variety of fun and tasty events. From trolley rides to wine tastings, from house tours to themed dinners, we offer something for everyone!

Click here to for a brochure

Check out the Christmas in Cape May Video

Holiday Preview Weekend

November 16-18: 6pm-9pm

Get a head start on the Holiday season!   Santa and his elves have decked out the Physick Estate with thousands of lights and holiday trimmings.  Enjoy a wide variety of holiday tours and food and wine events to get you into the Christmas spirit. The Physick Estate becomes a Christmas wonderland during the holiday season. The Carriage House Gallery exhibit, An Old-fashioned Christmas: Holiday Traditions through the Years, captures the feeling of Christmas past with a collection of model trains and  toys beneath the boughs of our giant Christmas tree (through January 3, 2013). Visit the Estate on Saturday, Nov. 17 at 7pm as Santa arrives to flip the switch for the festive Tree-Lighting Ceremony (sponsored by Sturdy Savings Bank). That evening the Physick House will be open for free, self-guided tours from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Visitors are encouraged to share in the holiday spirit and bring a non-perishable food item for the Cape May Community Food Bank.  For kids, there are Santa’s Trolley Rides and a chance to visit with old St. Nick himself. Grown-ups will enjoy holiday ghost tales during Ghosts of Christmas Past Trolley Rides.