By Sunayana Prabhu
RED BANK– To keep the summer revenue breezing into fall, the Monmouth County Board of County Commissioners, tourism partners and local officials kicked off the fall 2023 tourism season at a press conference Sept. 19 at the Count Basie Center for the Arts.
Referring to Count Basie as the “mecca” of Monmouth County, Commissioner Director Thomas Arnone, liaison to the Division of Tourism, officially addressed a gathering under the theater’s marquee at 99 Monmouth St.
Red Bank Mayor Billy Portman, Deputy Mayor Kate Triggiano, Monmouth Beach Mayor David Stickle, CEO and president of Count Basie Center for the Arts Adam Philipson, and Bob Zuckerman, executive director of the Red Bank RiverCenter, among others, attended the event where officials presented their outlook for the upcoming fall season.
“Summer is over, but fall is our busiest time,” Philipson said. From now through the holidays, Count Basie’s Hackensack Meridian Health Theatre and its second venue, The Vogel, will host more than 150 concerts, comedy shows, Broadway shows, community theater and family events.
Later this fall, the Basie Center Cinemas on White Street will become the first cinema of its kind in Monmouth County where patrons can purchase and enjoy alcoholic beverages along with a choice of independent films and Hollywood blockbusters.
“It’s really easy to see that the arts and our vibrant, diverse community are driving forces in creating significant tourism opportunities,” Philipson said, “even though the beaches are closed.”
With the Red Bank Oktoberfest coming up Saturday, Sept. 30 (rescheduled from Sept. 24 because of the rain), followed by the second annual Porchfest musical event Sunday, Oct. 1, “We’re definitely entering into a busy season here,” said Portman.
During a press conference to kick off the summer season in May, Arnone reported that Monmouth County made more than $29 million in 2022 in beach revenue, a 5% increase compared to the $27.5 million earned in 2021. Arnone also reported that 2022 visitor spending “increased from $2.3 million in 2021 to $2.8 million in 2022 – a 19.6% increase.”
Additionally, the tourism industry supported nearly 23,000 jobs in 2022, up from 17,000 in 2021. Food and beverage revenue increased to $816 million in 2022 from $682 million in 2021.
At the Tuesday conference, Monmouth Beach Mayor David Stickle said beach revenue from his municipality went up 8% in 2023, indicating an overall successful summer tourism season.
“This past year we laid out $540,000 in salaries just for seasonal employees,” Stickle said, and for a small town, beach revenue “goes a long way towards supporting the town of Monmouth Beach and the local county economy.”
Tourism does “wind down” after the beach season, “fall’s the best time here in the county,” Arnone said, listing a spate of special events planned for almost every weekend, including Asbury Fest, the Fall Food Truck Festival in Neptune, and more.
The Harvest Home Festival at the historic Longstreet Farms (canceled this year due to the weather) is one of his favorites, said Commissioner Ross F. Licitra, liaison to the Monmouth County Park System. Licitra highlighted the Thompson Day Park fall festival in Lincroft scheduled for Oct. 15 and noted the county also recently hosted the Wind & Sea Festival.
“We’re continuing to grow or added hundreds of hundreds of acres in the last three years to the county park system,” Licitra said during the conference, “just to bring this type of enjoyment to our residents here in Monmouth County, to help our local businesses make our lives so enriched here living in Monmouth County.”
Details and updates of all fall programming and events can be found on the county’s website visitmonmouth.com.
The article originally appeared in the September 28 – October 4, 2023 print edition of The Two River Times.
