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No stranger to organizing community events, Asbury Park and its creatives will host a number of local festivals, celebrations, conferences and conventions in the upcoming months; and even year. Below is a list of some of the more popular returning local gatherings, as well as a few inaugural announcements.  

The Universal African Festival returns 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Aug. 4 in Springwood Avenue Park, located between Union and Atkins avenues.

Sponsored by the ZamirAhsaad A. Dunbar Foundation, the multicultural event is a celebration of heritage, culture and history expressed through a variety of family friendly events, including over 20 live music, dance and spoken word presentations, unsung heroes awards, and a college scholarship presentation.

It’s Marketplace features a kid’s creativity cafe, face painting, cultural face adorning, henna artists, clothing, textile vendors, jewelry makers, visual artists, and a host of culinary artists, including vegan fare.

Grab a towel, the Hotel Tides’ annual Pool Party in support of The Center of Asbury Park returns noon to 5 p.m. Aug 5 at the 408 Seventh Ave hotel. The event features complimentary grill items and cash bar, with side dishes provided by The Chat & Nibble, Vintage Subs fare, and dessert and treats from Confections of a Rock$tar, Sweet Dani B Cookie Kitchen & Petite Party Studio, and the Asbury Park Cotton Candy Co. There will also be an ice coffee station from Asbury Park Roastery.  The $20 event donation will support The Center’s HIV/AIDS support programming.

The Garden State Film Festival will host a Call For Entries gathering from 6 to 8 p.m. Aug 15 at the newly restored Asbury Lanes, located at 209 Fourth Ave. This year web series has been added to the feature film, short, screenplays, movie soundtracks, and rising star categories. Submissions are being accepted through Dec 1, organizers said.

The fundraising event features complimentary light fare, a cash bar and networking opportunities. Tickets are $20, available via brownpapertickets.com.

Asbury Park native Nicolle Harris launches the inaugural Young Pastors Appreciation Banquet, being held 7 p.m. Sept 7 at the Waterview Pavilion, 800 River Rd in Belmar.

The event recognizes the work of pastors, age 40 and under that are leading congregations in the spirit of excellence, Harris said. The honorees include Pastor Dr. Laticia Hill Godette of York Memorial A.M.E Zion Church in Greenville, NC; Pastor Justin Hayward of  Friendship Baptist Church in Asbury Park; Pastor Dr. Semaj Y. Vanzant Sr. of Second Baptist Church in Asbury Park; Pastor Zaniel T. Young of Shrewsbury Avenue A.M.E Zion Church in Red Bank; Pastor Ryan Clements of Ballard United Methodist Church in Asbury Park; Pastor Isaac Friedel of Shore Christian Church in Asbury Park; and Pastor Willie D. Francois III of Mount Zion Baptist Church in Pleasantville. Pastor Tommy D. Miles of Macedonia Baptist Church in Neptune will serve as the Keynote Speaker.

Tickets are $60, $47 for children under 12, available via ticket agents from participating organization or through Harris at 908-614-3753. Checks should be made payable to: Nicolle D. Harris & Company. A portion of the event proceeds will be donated to the Zani Campbell Fund and the Price Memorial Fund, Harris said.

The popular Asbury Agile web conference returns 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 5 at The Asbury, located at 210 Fifth Ave.

The conference for technology professionals and students will feature and array of half day workshops leading up to the 8th annual event. First announced is an Oct 4 Generative Art with Product Engineer/Artist Tim Holman.

This year’s speakers include: Brenda Storer, software engineer at Deft Services; Amélie Lamont, product designer at thoughtbot; Fiona Rolander, lead product designer at Bontouch; Ricky Saporta, vice president at Vydia; Ted Goas, senior product designer at Stack Overflow; Devon Yarbrough, and senior blockchain consultant at Ernst & Young.

Conference tickets are $140, $199 includes participation in the Generative Art Workshop. The workshop fee is $60 and the student conference fee is $99. For more information, visit the eventbrite.com listing.

And, although it’s more than a year away, this week Shore Cake Supply announced a new festival – the Jersey Shore Cake & Cookie Convention, being held Oct 12 to 13 at Convention Hall, 1300 Ocean Avenue. This convention will feature vendors, shopping, classes, and free demos, organizers said. And while the convention website will soon go live, its Facebook listing has garnered interest from over 13,000 people.

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