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The Annual Asbury Park Oysterfest returns Sept 8 to 10 with a new location, lineup, and offerings.

The three day culinary fest is the Asbury Park Chamber of Commerce signature fundraising event, bringing together music and an array of vendors at summer’s end.

Executive Director Sylvia Silvia-Cioffi [at right] said there are number of initiatives this year she thinks integrates better into community.

To start, the event will move from its Asbury and Ocean avenue location to Bradley Park, encompassed by Kingsley Street, Fourth, Sunset, and Ocean avenues.

“It’s going to have all the original components plus an expanded family-friendly experience,”  Director Sylvia Sylvia-Cioffi said. With the new location, comes more fair style rides and an expansion of the games.

“It’s a larger footprint and high exposure with the backdrop of Convention Hall, The Berkeley and The Asbury, ” Sylvia-Cioffi said.

New this year will be a charitable event partner – Community Affairs and Resource Center [below right].  Established in 1980, the social service organization provides a host of support programs for economically disadvantaged individuals and families.

“With the addition of a charity partner, we’ll be able to do more fundraising for the revenue they will receive,” she said. “We also have our scholarship program that we just started this year. We will be able to do some fun fundraising.”

This will include a dunk tank featuring anyone sitting or new candidate for an elected office that ultimately serves Asbury Park.

“They can volunteer to come to raise funds for the Roy Werts scholarship that goes to any Asbury Park High School student,” she said. 

Also new will be a free trolley that will traverse along the waterfront to the downtown and along Main Street, she said. “Who wouldn’t want to participate in helping out our high school students.”

“It will give festival guests the ability to see some of best what Asbury Park has to offer,” she said. “Anyone with a wristband will be able to get on and off.”

This year Oysterfest will spotlight local breweries at its wine and beer garden, Assistant Director Matt Whelan said. The event typically showcases 60 to 70 food and craft vendors but with the new location comes to opportunity to showcase more vendors.

“We are trying to make Oysterfest everything it has been but also bigger, with a broader appeal that includes more of Asbury Park and supports the community, as well as the merchants,” Sylvia-Cioffi said.

Admission to Oysterfest is $3, free for children ages 12 and under. Its hours will run from 5 to 10 p.m Friday [the , 11 a.m to 10 p.m. Saturday, and 11 a.m to 6 p.m. Sunday. Vendor applications are being accepted. The event also is dog friendly and a special bicycle parking area will be available on site. A full list of featured music will be available closer to the event.

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