Clamfest Comes to Highlands Aug. 2-5

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HIGHLANDS — The Highlands Business Partnership is holding its 18th Annual Clamfest Aug. 2-5 at Huddy Park on Bay and Waterwitch avenues.
The festival will feature seafood, live entertainment, kiddie rides, games, contests, a beer and wine garden and more. Admission and parking are free, and the event will take place rain or shine.
Portions of Waterwitch and Bay avenues will be closed to street traffic to accommodate the specialty vendors’ marketplace and the food court featuring many popular Highland’s restaurants such as Bahrs, Chilangos, Clam Hut, Francesco’s, Lusty Lobster, Moby’s, and Windansea.
Food choices will include clams – fried, stuffed, drunken, garlic, steamed or on the half shell – and soft-shell crab sandwiches, shrimp, oysters, crabcakes, lobsters, scallops, chowders, fish tacos, mussels and much more. Twin Concessions will provide other festival favorites such as sausage and peppers and cheese steaks. Members of the Highlands Fire Department will sponsor their barbecue tent featuring their famous ribs, burgers, hot dogs and more.
There will be plenty of novelty foods, including Lions Club Funnel Cakes, fruit smoothies, ice cream and fried Oreos.
The beer and wine garden will be sponsored by Shore Point Distributor. The midway will be set up by Campy’s Amusements.
The festival is open from 6 to 11 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 2, which is family bracelet night when visitors can enjoy the amusement rides from 6 to 10 p.m. with the purchase of a $25 bracelet. Round the House Band will perform and DJ Johnny will spin favorite tunes.
Clamfest hours are 6 to 11 p.m. Friday, Aug. 3 when the festival will feature the Josh Zuckerman Band from 7 to 11 p.m.
The festival on Saturday, Aug. 4 will open at noon with the Highlands Community Singers featuring their hit, “Happy As A Clam.” The Kootz Band takes the stage from 1 to 4 p.m. followed by the Sunny Daze Band. The Jonzes will perform from 7 to 11 p.m.
The fest will be open from noon to 8 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 5, with pay-one-price bracelets available for two sessions, from noon to 4 p.m. and then 4 to 8 p.m., for $25 per session. The Steel Rail Blues Band will perform from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. Featured events: at 1 p.m. the baby costume contest will be held; at 3 p.m. the clam-shucking competition, sponsored by the Lusty Lobster; and at 3:30 p.m. the all-you-can-eat clam contest, sponsored by Certified Clam Company. Registration for all contests begins at noon.
The Jody Joseph Band will take the stage at 4:30 p.m. and the Highlands Business Partnership’s super 50/50 drawing will be held that day.
Clamfest 2012 is made possible with support from sponsors including Seastreak, Comcast, WRAT 95, Frank Rahm Landscaping, Hufnagel Tree Experts, T&M Associates, Shore Point Distributing Company and Jack Daniels and Southern Comfort, a division of the Brown Forman Company.
Additional information about Highlands Business Partnerships events or programs is available by calling 732-291-4713 or visiting www.highlandsnj.com.