Annual Barnegat Bay Festival
The Barnegat Bay Festival is the Barnegat Bay Partnership's (BBP) signature event, held at a beautiful waterfront location on the first Sunday in June. This day of free family fun reaches out to year-round residents and summer visitors to learn more about the Barnegat Bay, celebrate its resources, and to participate in interactive programs which stress the importance of the ecosystem to our Ocean and Monmouth County communities.
Environmental groups, as well as state and local agencies, provide excellent exhibits and activities that focus on the environmentally responsible ways we all can enjoy and protect the Barnegat Bay and its watershed. The entire family can participate in a myriad of environmental crafts such as fish printing and sea life origami. Festival-goers also enjoy decoy carving, interactive touch tanks, seining demonstrations, and other displays exploring life along the Bay, past and present. For a chance to get up close and personal with the Bay, attendees can take advantage of eco-tours such as kayaking through area creeks or traveling cross-bay with Ocean County naturalists aboard the educational pontoon boat. Artisans and crafters sell marine art, jewelry, garden statuary, pottery, and custom-made skiffs; live music is provided throughout the day and festival food is available.
16th annual barnegat bay festival
sunday, june 2, 2013
wanamaker complex in island heights nj
10 a.m.-4 p.m. (rain or shine)
click here for exhibitor information and application forms
click here for vendor information and application forms
Visit our Photo Gallery page to view photos from past Barnegat Bay Festivals.
guardians of Barnegat Bay Awards
The Festival is also the perfect venue to honor those who have made significant contributions to protect the environment. The Guardian of Barnegat Bay awards are presented annually to individuals and/or groups making a significant contribution to the protection of the Barnegat Bay. Recipients will be honored in three separate categories: Lifetime Achievement, Community Caretaker, and Government Leading by Example. The awardees are selected by the Partnership’s Advisory Committee, which consists of representatives from federal, state, and local government agencies, academic institutions, and non-governmental organizations.
The 2012 recipients are:
Lifetime Achievement: David Friedman
During his 38 years of service to the Ocean County Soil Conservation District (OCSCD), David Friedman has been committed to improving soil health, natural resource conservation, and stormwater management. Under his leadership as District Director, the OCSCD has promoted and supported diverse healthy soil initiatives in the Barnegat Bay watershed and throughout the State of New Jersey, resulting in the New Jersey Soil Restoration Act. He has partnered with others to restore stormwater basins in Ocean County (a total of 12 restored so far) and spearheaded many other stormwater management projects, including the installation of numerous rain gardens in the watershed. David is retiring from the OCSCD in June, 2012.
Community Caretaker: Potter Creek Crusaders
The Potter Creek Crusaders is an afterschool group of Berkeley Township sixth graders concerned about their local environment and the relationship between the Potter Creek subwatershed and the Barnegat Bay estuary. The club has grown every year since it was started in 2008. The members participate in hands-on environmental investigative experiences and document information with photographs. At the end of each school year, they publish a book of their photographs, which is available at local libraries. The students share their work with the community through their photography, presentations, exhibits, and a website.
Government Leading by Example: Brick Township Municipal Utilities Authority
The Brick Township Municipal Utilities Authority (BTMUA) has been a leader in watershed management since it began using the Metedeconk River for water supply in the 1980s. From its initial watershed characterization and planning to water quality monitoring and collaborative projects with other organizations, the BTMUA has been a steward of the Metedeconk River and the Barnegat Bay for nearly three decades. BTMUA is currently working with the other stakeholders in the watershed to develop and implement a Metedeconk River Watershed Protection and Restoration Plan.
The following are past recipients of a Guardian of Barnegat Bay Award: NJ Governor Chris Christie (2011), Steve Atzert (2010), Robert Anstett (2009), Michael Kennish, Ph.D. (2008), Terry O'Leary, David Friedman, Save Barnegat Bay (all three 2007), Congressman James Saxton, Paul D. McLain, and Jan Larson (all three 2005).
Check out the Barnegat Bay Passport to a Greener Community -- created for the 12th Annual Barnegat Bay Festival in 2009 but designed to be used as a guide for living bay-friendly year round. Use it to get great tips on going green in all areas of your life and to get to know the multitude of amazing non-profits and government groups working to protect the resources of our area.