👋Hey, Ocean friends!

Ocean County is serving up one very busy week. Grab the lawn chair, locate your reusable tote and leave room for something delicious!

🎉 Weekend Plans: Clambakes, concerts, sunflowers and Pretty Woman
📚 Beyond the Books: Coffee painting, plant doctors and Mah Jongg
🍽️ Local Flavor: Glizzy’s is coming to Toms River
🍕 Worth the Drive: Two Ocean City stops for tacos and pizza
🌻 Festival Fun: Pick-your-own blooms at Argos Farm
🎶 Live Music: Luaus, oldies and a Woodstock tribute
🥕 Market Fresh: Farmers, makers and Jersey-grown finds
🦪 Shore Eats: Seafood feasts and waterfront treats

Up first…

🥡 Remember to ask for the extras. New Jersey’s “Skip the Stuff” law takes effect Aug. 1, which means restaurants, diners, coffee shops and delivery services will no longer automatically include disposable utensils, napkins or condiment packets. Ordering takeout? You’ll need to request the forks and ketchup yourself. Delivery apps will also default to no extras, so check the appropriate box before placing your order.

Caring for a parent, spouse or other family member age 55 or older who needs a nursing home level of care? New Jersey’s Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly, better known as PACE, may help them continue living safely at home.

PACE coordinates medical and social services in one program, including primary and dental care, prescriptions, home care, adult day services and transportation to appointments.

New Jersey is expanding PACE to all 21 counties. Some centers are accepting participants now, while others are expected to open during the next 18 to 24 months. Contact your local PACE provider to ask about eligibility and availability—because sometimes the best care plan comes with no packing boxes required. Learn more here.

Ocean County has musicals, markets, clambakes, sunflowers and enough live music to keep your lawn chair working overtime. Here’s what’s going down:

🎭 Fall for Pretty Woman all over again. The beloved Julia Roberts movie gets a musical makeover at Surflight Theatre in Beach Haven on July 30 at 2 p.m.

🦪 Crack into a Shore-style feast. Laurita Winery’s Summer Clambake serves scallops, shrimp, mussels, corn, roasted potatoes and garlic bread on July 30 at 5 p.m. Tickets are $36 in advance or $40 at the door, if available. Elastic waistbands encouraged.

🥕 Shop small in Tuckerton. The producer-only Tuckerton Farmers Market returns outside the Union Market & Gallery on July 31 from 9 a.m.-noon.

🍅 Stock up in Lacey. The Lacey Farmers Market brings fresh local goods to Lacey United Methodist Church on July 31 from 11 a.m.-5 p.m.

🌻 Frolic through the sunflowers. Argos Farm’s Sunflower Festival opens July 31 from 3-8 p.m. with U-pick blooms, photo ops, live music, specialty drinks, farm food, Icarus Brewing and more than 30 attractions. Your camera roll is about to become aggressively cheerful.

🎨 Browse by the bay. The Yard Market at The Boatyard in Manahawkin returns July 31 from 4-9 p.m., then continues Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Shop from local artists, makers and growers while enjoying waterfront views, live music, coffee and giveaways.

🔥 Say aloha to the weekend. Manchester’s free “A Night in Paradise” Hawaiian show brings hula dancers, a live luau band, Tahitian drummers and Fire Knife Warriors to Harry Wright Lake on July 31 at 7 p.m. The rain date is Aug. 6; tropical shirts are encouraged.

🚒 Celebrate in New Egypt. Head to the New Egypt Volunteer Fire Company on Aug. 1 from noon-6 p.m. for food trucks, music, a parade and more. The parade begins at noon and ends at the New Egypt Elks Lodge.

🌺 Luau without the airfare. Alotta Colada brings tropical tunes to Berkeley Township’s Summer Luau Concert at Veterans Park in Bayville on Aug. 1 from 4-8 p.m. Admission and parking are free—just bring a lawn chair and your best vacation state of mind.

🎶 Do the Duprees at the dock. Sky’s the Limit performs a Duprees tribute during Barnegat’s Summer Concert Series on Aug. 1 at 6:30 p.m. at the municipal dock. Bring a chair and prepare for an evening of oldies by the water.

🛍️ Make Sunday a market day. Point Pleasant Fresh Farmers & Makers Market fills the NJ Transit lot at 317 Cooks Road on Aug. 2 from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. with local farms, food purveyors and makers.

☮️ Go back to the garden. BTTG 1969 recreates the Woodstock experience at Surflight Theatre on Aug. 3 at 5 p.m. with classic rock, period costumes, video, storytelling and songs made famous by everyone from Hendrix and Janis Joplin to Santana and The Who.

The latest news on aging from trusted media sources.

🏥 What Geriatric Emergency Departments Do Differently: These specialized units can help keep older patients out of the hospital, lower their health care costs and more. The New York Times, July 25.

🚭 Years After He Quit Smoking, a Lung Cancer Scan Saved His Life: Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States and older adults are at higher risk. But only about a quarter of patients eligible for screening are up-to-date. The New York Times, July 15.

💊 FDA Approves a First-Of-Its-Kind Pill to Cut Cholesterol in High-Risk Patients: The Food and Drug Administration has approved a first-of-its-kind pill that can drastically reduce cholesterol in a way that’s previously only been available with expensive, injectable drugs. Associated Press, July 16.

🛡️ 5 Scams Targeting Retirees Now — and the Easiest Ways to Stay Safe: From phony family emergencies to fake investments, fraudsters know all the tricks and have modern technology up their sleeves. Here's how to stay safe from five common scams. Kiplinger, July 19.

The Ocean County Library is serving up coffee painting, plant doctors, Mah Jongg and music history. Here’s what’s happening:

☕ Paint with your morning pick-me-up. Use coffee like watercolor to create warm, vintage-style artwork during Coffee Painting with Culture Chauraha at the Little Egg Harbor Branch on July 30 from 10-11:30 a.m.

🀄 Make your move in Berkeley. Weekly open-play Mah Jongg meets at the Berkeley Branch on July 30 from 1-4 p.m. Bring your own set and current card—and perhaps your most convincing poker face.

🪴 Send your houseplants to the hospital. Bring an ailing plant to the Manchester Branch on July 30 from 1-3 p.m., and let a Rutgers Master Gardener diagnose what’s bugging it. Drooping leaves, mysterious spots and overly dramatic ferns are all welcome.

👟 Move to the music. Walk 4 Memory combines indoor walking, familiar songs, breathing and singing at the Toms River Branch on July 30 from 1-2 p.m. The easy-to-follow program is designed for people experiencing memory loss or mild cognitive decline who can participate without a caregiver. A signed library waiver is required.

🧵 Stitch and socialize. Bring your knitting, crochet, sewing or embroidery project to the Lacey Branch’s Stitch It Club on July 30 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. All skill levels are welcome, including those of us who have been “almost finished” with the same scarf since 2020.

🎺 Hear 250 years of American music. Navesink Brass performs everything from Revolutionary War tunes to jazz, Broadway, pop and movie music at Bay Head’s Centennial Park on July 31 from 6-7 p.m. Bring a chair or blanket. The concert is free, but registration is required. The rain date is Aug. 7.

🎬 Cool off with a movie. The Upper Shores Branch screens Hamnet, a PG-13 drama about Shakespeare’s wife, Agnes, and the loss of their son, on July 31 from 1:30-3:30 p.m. Air conditioning and a compelling story? Consider Friday afternoon handled.

🧶 Join the Waretown Woolies. Knitters, crocheters and fiber fans can work, chat and swap ideas at the Waretown Branch on Mondays, Aug. 3, 10, 17 and 24 from 1-3 p.m. All experience levels are welcome; bring your own yarn and needles. No registration is required.

🌿 Ask a plant expert. Bring photos, samples and your most pressing garden mysteries to the Long Beach Island Branch on Aug. 4 from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Rutgers Master Gardeners will offer diagnoses and care recommendations—no appointment or tiny plant insurance card necessary.

🦌 Get hands-on with the Pinelands. Adults with developmental disabilities and their caregivers can explore antlers, turtle shells, animal fur, skulls and other natural artifacts during Nifty Nature NikNaks at the Waretown Branch on Aug. 4 from 10:30-11:30 a.m.

❤️ Check your numbers. The Long Beach Island Health Department offers free blood pressure screenings at the LBI Branch on Aug. 4 from 11 a.m.-noon. Walk-ins are welcome.

🎶 Hear what America sounded like. Melissa Ziobro of the Bruce Springsteen Archives & Center for American Music takes listeners through 250 years of American music at the Jackson Branch on Aug. 4 from 6:30-7:30 p.m. Expect to learn about everyone from Thomas Edison and Frank Sinatra to Whitney Houston, Queen Latifah, Bon Jovi and, naturally, The Boss.

☕ Talk books without assigned reading. Drop into the Barnegat Branch’s Book Café on Aug. 4 from 7-8 p.m. to chat about whatever you’re currently reading and enjoy light refreshments. No frantic chapter-finishing required.

🀄 Learn the tiles in Waretown. Beginners are welcome at Mah Jongg at the Waretown Branch on Aug. 5 from noon-4 p.m. Come curious; leave knowing why everyone keeps talking about cracks, bams and dots.

🦋 Invite more winged visitors. Rutgers Master Gardeners explain how to attract butterflies and hummingbirds—and which host and nectar plants they prefer—at the Upper Shores Branch on Aug. 5 from 2-3 p.m.

🥭 Build a better smoothie bowl. Watch a blending demonstration, sample smoothie bowls and visit the toppings bar at the Barnegat Branch on Aug. 5 from 2-3 p.m. Recipes, trivia and fun facts are included. Potential allergens may be present.

📖 Read with the Book Club of LBI. The Long Beach Island Branch discusses Erik Larson’s The Splendid and the Vile on Aug. 5 from 6-8 p.m.

Ready to venture beyond Ocean County? This week’s road-trip lineup has farm animals, butterflies, bargain art and enough sunflowers to keep your camera roll busy until Labor Day.

🐴 Go big at the state fair. The New Jersey State Fair and Sussex County Farm and Horse Show takes over the Sussex County Fairgrounds in Augusta from July 31-Aug. 8. Expect livestock, horse shows, carnival rides, live music, games and all the fair food your stomach can negotiate. Admission is $12 for adults, $8 for seniors 60+ and $4 for children ages 6-12.

🌻 Follow the sunflower trail. Wander through rows of blooms, pose at more than 20 photo spots and visit the farm animals at the New Jersey Sunflower Trail in Washington throughout August. Select weekends add food trucks, live music, crafters, axe throwing and a beer and wine garden. Tickets start at $14.99 on weekdays and $16.99 on weekends.

🎨 Score some artsy bargains. More than 30 local makers will offer ceramics, jewelry, paintings, prints and other treasures during the Arts Council of Princeton’s yART Sale on Aug. 1 from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Many are seconds, misprints or discontinued designs sold at studio-cleanout prices. Admission is free.

🦋 Flutter over to Pennington. The Watershed Institute’s Butterfly Festival returns Aug. 1 from 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m. with an insect zoo, butterfly-house tours, a bug parade, live entertainment, crafts, food trucks and vendors. Admission is $10 per person or $30 per carload of up to six people.

🍷 Toast to everything Jersey Fresh. Terhune Orchards in Princeton celebrates Summer Fest on Aug. 1-2 from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. with live music, animal shows, bubble performances, crafts, food and a new vendor fair. Adults can cool off with wine flights and slushies—because farm life is demanding work. Advance admission is $16.50; day-of tickets are $19.50.

Holiday travel is heating up—or, in one case, cooling down to a brisk 9 degrees. Here’s what’s new and worth packing a parka for.

🧊 Step inside your favorite holiday movie. Marriott is expanding its hand-carved ICE! attraction to a record eight resorts this holiday season, including first-time locations in California and Arizona. New themes include Home Alone in Nashville, The Nightmare Before Christmas in Colorado and Harry Potter in Grapevine, Texas. Returning favorites include The Grinch near Washington, D.C., The Polar Express near Orlando and Rudolph in San Antonio, while the new locations will feature A Charlie Brown Christmas and Elf. Each walk-through experience uses more than 2 million pounds of ice, includes towering scenes and slides, and stays at a frosty 9 degrees. Blue parkas are provided—because hypothermia is not especially festive.

🎄 Trade the snow shovel for a swimsuit. The Orlando World Center Marriott, just 1.5 miles from Walt Disney World, will host its expanded Twelve Nights of Wonder from Dec. 20-31. The nightly Winter Wonderland Village adds a brand-new carousel this year, along with a train ride, children’s activities, holiday treats, specialty drinks, carolers and visits from Santa. Fireworks are scheduled for Dec. 26, 28, 30 and 31, with a Mermaid and Glow pool event on Dec. 26. Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Eve buffets are also planned. Holiday magic, now with a lazy river.

🍪 See gingerbread taken very seriously. Asheville’s Omni Grove Park Inn will host the 34th National Gingerbread House Competition on Nov. 16, bringing together professional pastry chefs, amateur bakers, architects, artists and families. New judges this year include pastry and confectionery artist Sasha Aleksandra Nary and award-winning cookie artist Rabiha Sami. The finished gingerbread creations—ranging from tiny cottages to elaborate edible buildings—will go on public display Nov. 17-Jan. 3. More than 20,000 people visit annually, proving that sometimes it is perfectly acceptable to travel several hundred miles to admire cookies.

A hot dog shop is headed to downtown Toms River, while two Ocean City favorites offer a tasty excuse for a drive south.

🌭 Make room for Glizzy’s. Harry Clayton, the pitmaster behind Harry’s Smokin’ BBQ, plans to open Glizzy’s by Harry at 49 Main St. in downtown Toms River on Sept. 1. Expect specialty hot dogs piled with creative toppings, smash burgers and smoked meats in a casual, family-friendly setting. Consider this your official notice to arrive hungry. Glizzy’s announcement

🌮 Take a tasty detour for tacos. Blue Cactus Taco Shop at 928 Haven Ave. in Ocean City serves Cali-Mex tacos, loaded breakfast burritos, bowls and specialty coffee—all with a laid-back coastal vibe. Its former boardwalk location has closed, but the Haven Avenue restaurant is open and belongs on your next South Jersey day-trip list. Blue Cactus Taco Shop

🍕 Follow the sauce swirl south. Philadelphia favorite Alex’s Pizza is now open at 1214 Boardwalk in Ocean City, between 12th and 13th streets. The shop is serving its signature thin-crust pizza with that famous swirl of red sauce, plus smash burgers and oven-baked specialties. Add it to your must-try list. Alex’s Pizza

A very happy 80th birthday to Kim D. of of Toms River, celebrating her milestone birthday on Aug. 1. Here’s to 80 years of great stories—and the good sense not to tell all of them!

A few other familiar faces celebrating this week include documentary filmmaker Ken Burns, “Project Runway” personality Tim Gunn and E Street Band singer Patti Scialfa, all turning 73 on July 29, while country star Martina McBride turns 60. On July 30, singer Paul Anka turns 85, Arnold Schwarzenegger is 79, “thirtysomething” actor Ken Olin is 72, Delta Burke is 70 and “Friends” favorite Lisa Kudrow is 63. Wrapping up the week, “The Bold and the Beautiful” star Susan Flannery turns 87, actor Wesley Snipes is 64, and “Harry Potter” author J.K. Rowling is 61 on July 31. Counting Crows frontman Adam Duritz turns 62 on Aug. 1.

That’s all for this week! Whether you’re headed to a food-truck festival, learning to play bridge or plotting a holiday escape, we hope you find something that makes the week a little more fun.

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See you next week!

😎 The Ocean Senior Scoop team

A quick note: We do our best to keep every date, time and detail accurate, but plans can change faster than the weather at the Shore. Please confirm with the venue before heading out. This newsletter is for informational purposes only and is not medical, legal or financial advice.