By Allison Perrine
MONMOUTH COUNTY – It certainly wasn’t the weather forecast most hoped for this Memorial Day weekend, but that didn’t stop people from stepping out in crowds to celebrate – even if it meant wearing a rain poncho.
Many restaurants and bars were packed last weekend despite the constant rain – and in many cases without masks, following the state’s easement of required facial coverings and social distancing indoors and outdoors for those who are fully vaccinated. Some bars like D’Jais in Belmar had lines of dozens, and at certain times hundreds, that from a distance resembled a sea of ponchos and single-use plastic bags which individuals placed over the tops of their heads to stay dry while waiting to enter. And Belmar was not alone.
“I don’t think you will be able to move in Sea Bright on weekends this summer when the weather is great and assuming there isn’t any kind of a resurgence with COVID,” said Sea Bright Mayor Brian Kelly. “Overall, we had a soft opening to summer because of the weather, but the restaurants all seemed to be very busy despite the rain and cold.”
For obvious reasons, the beaches were mostly vacant over the weekend. But Kelly anticipates that Sea Bright will be “extremely full and busy this summer” and that it will be “busier than last year since we had been at capacity a few good weather weekdays prior to Memorial Day weekend.”
Highlands Borough Mayor Carolyn Broullon agreed that this wasn’t a normal weekend to kick off the summer, but Sunday and Monday “the town was rockin’” and had residents and visitors all over. “It was not the most ideal way to start off the summer but it was fine,” she said, adding that it felt “freeing” to not have the mask mandate in place any longer.
Come Monday afternoon, the weather cleared up a bit which allowed municipalities to continue with plans for Memorial Day commemorations honoring those who have served the country and paid the ultimate sacrifice. That included Highlands, where the town had its wreath laying ceremony at monuments around the borough. Broullon said the turnout was good “considering the amount of rain” in the early morning, mostly made up of military families and organizers.
The borough also held its annual parade where some marched along and others drove in cars. Following the parade, participants hopped around to restaurants in town and many capped the day off at the American Legion post in town with a solemn ceremony with an estimated 75 to 100 attendees. “It was good to finally be together,” said Broullon.
There was an even larger turnout at the Monmouth Beach Memorial Day ceremony, with well over 100 community members in attendance, without masks, standing side by side, a very different picture than in 2020. According to Mayor David Stickle, it was one of the best turnouts the borough has ever had.
“It really shows the spirit of our town,” said Stickle.
The article originally appeared in the June 3 – 9, 2021 print edition of The Two River Times.
