Clam One of the Jersey Shore’s favorite summer traditions, is back!
The 31st Annual Highlands Clam Fest returns to Huddy Park from Friday, July 31 through Sunday, August 2, bringing three unforgettable days of fresh seafood, live entertainment, fireworks, family activities, specialty vendors, and waterfront fun to the heart of Highlands.
Admission and parking are free, and the festival takes place rain or shine.
For more than three decades, Clam Fest has drawn thousands of visitors to Highlands, celebrating the town’s rich maritime heritage while showcasing everything that makes this waterfront community a favorite Jersey Shore destination. Whether visitors are craving fresh seafood, looking for live music, shopping unique vendors, or simply enjoying a summer weekend with family and friends, Clam Fest has something for everyone.
Highlands’ connections to the clamming industry run deep. Generations of local baymen harvested clams from the waters of Sandy Hook Bay and the Shrewsbury River, making shell fishing an essential part of the borough’s history and economy. Today, Highlands remains home to one of only two clam depuration plants on the East Coast, where clams are purified before reaching consumers. Clam Fest proudly celebrates that heritage while bringing the community together for one of its most anticipated annual events.
Festival-goers can enjoy an incredible variety of food trucks and festival favorites, including fresh seafood, the Highlands Lions Club’s famous funnel cakes, and the Highlands Fire Department’s popular burgers and hot dogs. The Beer & Wine Garden will once again be pouring local favorites, while Bay and Waterwitch Avenues transform into a bustling marketplace featuring artisans, specialty vendors, handcrafted goods, jewelry, home décor, and unique gifts.
Families will find plenty to enjoy in the Kid Zone, hosted by Big Mark’s Action Park Amusements, along with the Highlands Recreation Department’s Relaxation Station, offering activities and entertainment for children throughout the weekend.
The Entertainment Lineup varies by the day, with Friday, July 31 activities from 6 p.m. to 11 p..m. featuring Jo & the Highland Express at 7:00 PM .
On Saturday, Aug. .1, festival hours are from : Noon to 11:00 PM with entertainment by Altered States at Noon. Johnny 5 Alive at 3:00 PM and The Discoteks at 7:00 PM.
At 10:00 PM, the sky over Snug Harbor Beach will light up with Clam Fest’s spectacular fireworks display, sponsored and produced by Serpico Pyrotechnics, celebrating the festival’s 31st anniversary.
On Sunday, August 2, festival Hours are Noon to8:00 PM, featuring The Clamdiggers at 1:00 PM and The Jonzes at 5:00 PM.
Returning by popular demand is the Clam Eating Contest, sponsored by Station One Seafood. The contest is limited to the first 12 participants to register at the Highlands Business Partnership booth on Sunday, Aug. 2. A $20 entry fee gives contestants a chance to earn bragging rights and be crowned the King of the Clams!
Visitors can also try their luck in the King of the Clam Super 50/50 Raffle. Tickets are $5 each and will be available throughout the weekend at the Highlands Business Partnership booth. The winner does not need to be present and will be drawn at 8:00 PM on Sunday, August 2.
The 31st Annual Highlands Clam Fest is presented by the Highlands Business Partnership, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting economic development and supporting the local business community.
This year’s event is made possible through the support of Monmouth County Tourism, Montecalvo/Bayshore Family of Companies, Bahrs Landing, Farmacie by the French Market, Dovetail Vintage Rentals, Hufnagel Tree Service, In the Garden, Off the Hook, Proving Ground, Seafarer, Sandbox at Seastreak, Valley Bank, Bridge Marina, Gateway Marina, The Honorable Plant, WRAT 95.9, and Serpico Pyrotechnics.
For more information, visit www.highlandsnj.com or call 732-291-4713.
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In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.
6 And God said, “Let there be a vault between the waters to separate water from water.” 7 So God made the vault and separated the water under the vault from the water above it. And it was so. 8 God called the vault “sky.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the second day.
9 And God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear.” And it was so. 10 God called the dry ground “land,” and the gathered waters he called “seas.” And God saw that it was good.
11 Then God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.” And it was so. 12 The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. 13 And there was evening, and there was morning—the third day.
14 And God said, “Let there be lights in the vault of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark sacred times, and days and years, 15 and let them be lights in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth.” And it was so. 16 God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. 17 God set them in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth, 18 to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good. 19 And there was evening, and there was morning—the fourth day.
20 And God said, “Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the vault of the sky.” 21 So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living thing with which the water teems and that moves about in it, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 22 God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth.” 23 And there was evening, and there was morning—the fifth day.
24 And God said, “Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: the livestock, the creatures that move along the ground, and the wild animals, each according to its kind.” And it was so. 25 God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.
26 Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals,[a] and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”
27 So God created mankind in his own image,
in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.
28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”
29 Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. 30 And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.” And it was so.
31 God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.
