New Jersey
Winter in Cape May: Here are some must-see holiday events
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Summer may be over, but the Jersey Shore does not shut down when the umbrellas fold.
In Cape May, winter has become one of the most popular times to visit, especially during the holidays, when the seaside town transforms into a Victorian village. What was once the quiet off-season is now a stretch of celebratory weeks filled with music, trolley rides and holiday lights that glow for miles.
Cape May leans into its heritage this time of year. Gas lamps flicker along the streets. Evergreens wrap the porches of its grand Victorian homes. The Washington Street Mall shines with ribbons, seasonal displays and unique gifts. The shift from summer’s bustle to winter’s calm does not signal a slowdown. Instead, it reveals a different rhythm, one that invites people to explore.
“Christmas in Cape May is the best,” said Stephen Gatier, owner of the Magic Brain Cafe. “My June and my December sales are usually about the same, which should tell you how busy December is. The West Cape May Christmas Parade … is consistently our busiest day of the year.”
Travel+Leisure magazine lists Cape May as one of its 25 best Christmas towns in the U.S.
According to the Cape May County Department of Tourism, the region is becoming a “nine-month vacation destination, with the City of Cape May at the forefront of year-round tourism. Foot traffic in Cape May surges during the holiday season.”
The Greater Cape May Chamber of Commerce said more than 10,000 people visited their information booth last year between Thanksgiving and New Year’s. The Washington Street Mall attracted an estimated 45,000 visitors during the same time period.
Cape May’s winter tourism underscores a larger story about the Jersey Shore. Towns once defined by a short summer season are building new traditions that bring visitors back year-round. Cape May County officials said that in December 2024, lodging revenue in the county increased by $104 million compared to December 2023, highlighting the surge in holiday tourism.
The winter season supports restaurants, shops, inns and nonprofits like Cape May MAC, which uses tour proceeds to preserve the Victorian structures that define the town’s identity.
Here are the top experiences that define Cape May’s holiday season.
New Jersey
Who is running for U.S. House, Senate in New Jersey? Here’s the list
NJ voter turnout hard to predict due to low response rates
Conducting surveys during elections becomes difficult due to low responses from voters, according to experts.
While this fall’s midterm election may still feel like ages away, the process has already started for potential candidates.
March 23 was the filing deadline for politically affiliated folks to get on the ballot in this June’s primary election – the stepping stone for November.
All 12 seats representing New Jersey in the House are on the ballot as well as one seat in the U.S. Senate.
The heated contest to succeed Rep. Bonnie Watson-Coleman in District 12 is going to draw much of the attention this spring.
There are more contested races as well, though only three involving incumbents.
Here’s a breakdown of who is running to represent the Garden State in Washington this year, according to the unofficial list made available by the state’s Division of Elections.
U.S. Senate
Democratic Sen. Cory Booker is running for his fourth term. He won’t face any opposition this spring. The Republicans running for a chance to represent their party this fall are Richard Tabor, Justin Murphy, Alex Zdan and Robert Lebovics.
Congressional District 1
Democratic Rep. Donald Norcross is running unopposed in the primary. Republican Damon Galdo will also run unopposed.
Congressional District 2
Republican Rep. Jeff Van Drew is running unopposed in the primary. There are four Democrats running, Tim Alexander, Terri Reese, Zack Mullock and Bayly Winder.
Congressional District 3
Democratic Rep. Herb Conaway is running unopposed in the primary. Three Republicans will face off to represent their party. They are Justin Barbera, Jason Culler and Michael McGuire.
Congressional District 4
Republican Rep. Chris Smith is running unopposed in the primary. Two Democrats, John Blake and Rachel Peace, will face off in their party’s primary.
Congressional District 5
Democratic Rep. Josh Gottheimer is running unopposed in the primary. Republicans Sean Kirrane and John Aslanian will square off to represent their party.
The story continues below the gallery.
Congressional District 6
There are three challengers running against Rep. Frank Pallone in the Democratic primary. They are Katie Bansil, Hillary Herzig and John Hsu.
Congressional District 7
Republican Rep. Tom Kean is running unopposed in the primary. There are four Democrats squaring off to run against him this fall. They are Rebecca Bennett, Michael Roth, Tina Shah and Brian Varela.
Congressional District 8
For the Democrats, Rep. Rob Menendez will face off against Mussab Ali, a former Jersey City school board member.
Congressional District 9
Democratic Rep. Nellie Pou is running unopposed in the primary. Republicans Tiffany Burress and Rosie Pino will square off in their primary.
Congressional District 10
Rep. LaMonica McIver is facing one challenger in the Democratic primary, Lawrence Poster. Carmen Bucco is running unopposed for the Republicans.
Congressional District 11
The story continues below the gallery.
This seat is currently vacant after Gov. Mikie Sherrill resigned to run the state. Democrat Analilia Mejia won a special primary in February and is on the ballot for a special election in April to fill her seat. Mejia is running in the primary in June against Justin Strickland, Donald Cresitello and Joseph Lewis. Republican Joe Hathaway, who is also on the ballot in April, is running unopposed in the June primary.
Congressional District 12
There are 13 people running in the Democratic primary to fill the seat being left by Bonnie Watson Coleman, who announced earlier this year that she would retire at the end of her term.
They are Assemblywoman Verlina Reynolds-Jackson, Brad Cohen, Squire Servance, Samuel Wang, Sue Altman, Sujit Singh, Adrian Mapp, Adam Hamawy, Elijah Dixon, Kyle Little, Jay Vaingankar, Matt Adams, Shanel Robinson and Gregg Mele.
New Jersey
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New Jersey
Monmouth County hospital among World’s Best Hospitals for 2026
Ranney School student plays music for Monmouth Medical Center patients
Ava Silva Costa, a sophomore at the Ranney School in Tinton Falls, has started Arturo Healing Hearts, bringing her violin music to area hospitals.
Hospitals are an important need in the world.
And finding a facility with high-quality medical care that’s reliable is also important.
Newsweek, the premier news magazine and website, has partnered with Statista to release a dependable guidance list of the World’s Best Hospitals – United States for 2026.
In it’s eight year, these ranking highlights the leading hospitals around the globe so readers can find information tailored to their needs and location the report stated.
Each hospital was reviewed and given a score based on four data sources: recommendations from medical experts; hospital quality metrics, existing patient experience data and Statista’s Patient-Reported Outcome Measures Implementation Survey.
In typical New Jersey fashion, the Garden State makes the list among the 2,500 hospitals that were evaluated this year.
Nine hospitals from the Garden State made the list with one representing Monmouth County. With an overall score of 61.79% and the Infection Prevention Award, Monmouth Medical Center in Long Branch made the top 9 list for roster in World’s Best Hospitals 2026 from Newsweek.
World’s Best Hospitals 2026 in New Jersey
- No. 53: Atlantic Health Morristown Medical Center in Morristown; overall score: 70.74%
- No. 56: Hackensack University Medical Center in Hackensack; overall score: 70.07%
- No. 134: The Valley Hospital in Paramus; overall score: 65.36%
- No. 186: Atlantic Health Overlook Medical Center in Summit; overall score: 64.42%
- No. 254: Englewood Hospital and Medical Center in Englewood; overall score: 63.13%
- No. 320: Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick; overall score: 62.26%
- No. 364: Newark Beth Israel Medical Center in Newark; overall score: 61.82%
- No. 366: Penn Medicine Princeton Medical Center in Plainsboro; overall score: 61.80%
- No. 367: Monmouth Medical Center in Long Branch; overall score: 61.79%
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