FROM THE PRESIDENT Cape May MAC’s Cultural and Preservation Partners Why are so many people buying expensive homes in Cape May and why are visitors to our city approaching record high numbers? It certainly isn’t because we have ample parking, low prices, free beaches, sporting events, casinos or great amusement parks. I firmly believe it is because we don’t have these things but, instead, within our beautiful, walkable, bicycle-friendly city we have attractions that are unique, educational and culturally oriented. Cape May MAC certainly didn’t create these attractions alone, but we did set the stage, starting 51 years ago. And many other organizations have joined us to round out the variety of attractions that makes our community a nationally recognized site to live, play and work. I would like to offer recognition to this amazing collection of nonprofits that have helped make all this happen.
Historic
Cold
Spring
Village:
Founded by Dr. Joe and Anne Salvatore, this group helped save numerous architecturally significant buildings such as inns, stores, schools, printing, and blacksmith shops, even a large Grange, and moved them from around the county to a beautiful setting on Seashore Road. It is a wonderful village to wander through and enjoy music, lectures, fairs, antiques and car shows as well as reenactments through many seasons of the years. The crafts from our colonial years are presented by costumed interpreters with great interaction for all ages of visitors.
Naval
Air
Station
Wildwood:
Also saved by the Salvatores, houses a wonderful collection of historic aircraft in a 1942 all-wood, double-wide aircraft hangar where pilots were trained for dive bombing missions in the Pacific during WWII. After purchasing the hanger for $1, the Salvatores and the NASW Foundation worked to restore it to its original condition. It is a must visit for all ages.
Cape May Stage and East Lynne Theater Company are longstanding
that also support the businesses of our community.
Greater Cape May Historical Cape May Film Society: This nonSociety: This group maintains probably profit is in the process of being reinvented
the oldest home in Cape May, dating back to 1730, and offers a delightful presentation of life in Cape May before the town exploded with wealthy visitors in the 19th century.
Coast Guard Community Foundation: This non-profit was formed in 2015
to nurture the relationship and friendship of their members with residents of the community. The Cape May Coast Guard Training Center open house is one of the most popular events on our city calendar as well as the Sunset Parades in the summer.
Cape May Community Food Closet:
An all-volunteer organization, this has a far different mission than most of the others. It is focused on making sure that disadvantaged members of the community are provided with food that can be picked up or, if necessary, distributed by their volunteers. Many local organizations support their efforts with food drives and fund raising.
Cape May Bird Observatory and Nature Center of Cape May: Both of
these New Jersey Audubon entities have attracted a wide audience of visitors and locals who enjoy the abundance of wildlife that live, swim and pass through our region seasonally. They serve as stewards of our beautiful open spaces and encourage all to enjoy them while protecting them from development.
Exit Zero Jazz Festival, in both the spring and fall, SpyBoy Productions brings world class music and performers to Cape May using numerous venues all over town and sometimes jazz musicians can be seen parading through the streets of Cape May giving impromptu performances. You might feel like the whole community has been transported to New Orleans.
equity theatre companies in Cape May. Resort communities are always very proud of the presence of live theater companies that add so much to their cultural attractions. Cape May has not just one but two, both using historic buildings for their productions and attracting many visitors
Center for Community Arts: This group sponsors numerous programs that foster an appreciation for diversity in our community. Among them are the local 101.5 FM radio station, an African American Heritage Walking Tour and partnering with us for the Underground Railroad Trolley
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Tour. They’ve also hosted an Annual Cookie Exchange and the Soup-er Bowl.
Cape May MAC
and relaunched in 2022. It will focus on celebrating the cinematic arts through year-round movie screenings, educational opportunities for video enthusiasts, and cultural enrichment events for residents and visitors alike in the nation’s oldest seaside resort.
Cape May Maritime Museum: Sea-
farers that comprise this group have undertaken the restoration of a Coast Guard motor lifeboat, typical of the early 20th Century, that had been left to rot away. It is their hope to have it operational and able to take small groups on board for tours of the Cape May Harbor and visits to the Coast Guard Base and Cutters aboard a craft from their own CG history.
Harriett Tubman Museum: One
of our newest non-profits, it has saved and restored the parsonage of the Macedonia Baptist Church to create a museum honoring this famous abolitionist who worked in Cape May between trips conducting enslaved people to freedom along the Underground Railroad. With great community support, they are working hard to protect an important part of our culture and history that unfortunately has been lost in many other communities.
Fund for Cape May: After rather widespread disappointment with attempts to beautify the main entrance to town, this fund was created to try to see that such “improvements” were sufficiently funded to make additions to our town shine as bright as our historic attractions. Through donations rather than taxpayers’ dollars, the Fund raised $580,000 for Rotary Park and $225,000 for the Soldiers and Sailors Park. Under the Leadership of Cape May MAC, these organizations share their experience, successes, challenges, and a few failures through The Cultural Organizations Roundtable (Cape May COR), a coordination of efforts that is beneficial to all of the organizations and certainly to Cape May. We at Cape May MAC are grateful for the many hours of volunteer work offered by (CONTINUED ON PAGE 7)
www.capemaymac.org
