Family Fun at the U.S. Coast Guard Community Festival in Cape May

The U.S. Coast Guard Community Festival is held every year during the month of May in Cape May, New Jersey. This annual festival honors the men and women of the United States Coast Guard and celebrates the county's designation as a Coast Guard Community.

The official training center located in Cape May is the only designated recruit training center in the United States. According to statistics, 80% of their workforce begin their enlisted careers in Cape May County. The center graduates over 2,000+ recruits annually.

We had the opportunity to attend the festival back on Saturday, May 5th, 2018 at the training center. You can find parking spots along Pennsylvania Avenue if you arrive early, otherwise you'll want to park in one of the designated parking lots and take the trolley over to the event. Photo ID is required to get in for all adults and all bags are subject to a security search. The festival started at 10 AM and ran until 4 PM with different activities and events throughout the day.

Here are a few of the activities that you can experience:

Ship Tours - These are guided on-ship tours that require a lot of walking and climbing of stairs. They require you to wear proper footwear when taking a ship tour. (in other words, no open-toe shoes or flip-flops are allowed).

Trolley Tours - The Cape May Trolley was available to give visitors a trolley tour of the Training Center Cape May. We didn't participate in this one, but it is available to visitors & guests.

Children's Fun Zone - At the festival they had a Kid Zone set up that offered kids face painting, games, arts & crafts and they had a lot of fun playing in the inflatable bounce house. My grandchildren really enjoyed all of these activities while we were there.

Exhibits and Events - As you walk around the grounds at the festival you'll be treated to various cultural and historical exhibits and entertainment.

Food & Beverages - There are food trucks and vendors at the festival where you can get something to eat and drink.

Throughout the day you can watch live demonstrations of recruits marching in formation, "mock" search and rescue demonstrations over Cape May Harbor, K-9 demonstrations and U.S. Coast Guard Recruit Band performances. There is something for everyone to enjoy.

A few tips: You'll want to dress appropriately for the weather and wear comfortable walking shoes. Bring along your sunscreen, sunglasses and other "sun" protective gear. If they're calling for rain showers, bring along an umbrella too! They really discourage visitors in bringing along large handbags, tote bags, backpacks, etc. Please leave them behind. This event can get extremely crowded and busy...be prepared for long lines and congestion.

Additional events were held on Sunday May 6th at the Cape May - Lewes Ferry Terminal at 1200 Lincoln Blvd. in North Cape May. Festivities included a community brunch, classic car show, a band performance and a magic show with Ken the Magician. We opted to not attend those.

My family had a great time attending the U.S. Coast Guard Community Festival in Cape May on May 5th, 2018. We're hoping to attend the next one in May 2019 and hoping to spend the entire week on a family vacation. You can learn more about the U.S. Coast Guard Community by visiting their official website online.