March 10, 2005

BEACHFRONT EGG HUNT WILL HIGHLIGHT FUN-FILLED EASTER WEEKEND SPONSORED BY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, CITY HALL AND ASBURY PARTNERS

Easter Egg Hunt 10 a.m. Saturday Asbury Park's Annual Easter Egg Hunt will take place on Saturday, March 26, from 10 a.m. to noon on the beach along the south side of Convention Hall. The highly anticipated event launches a weekend of fun-filled activities aimed at the area's young and young-at-heart. This year, Asbury Partners LLC, master developer for the 56-acre Oceanfront Asbury redevelopment, is co-sponsoring the egg hunt with New Jersey Natural Gas (NJNG), and the Greater Asbury Park Chamber of Commerce, the event's organizer.

The egg hunt is open to children of all ages. The Easter Bunny will be on hand to entertain children and distribute candy during the egg hunt. The morning event also will feature face painters. Discounted tickets to events at Convention Hall will be among the many prizes and giveaways offered during the egg hunt. The Lakewood BlueClaws, a Class A minor-league baseball team, also has donated tickets to be given away.

No rain date has been set for the egg hunt; participants are encouraged to dress appropriately for the weather.

"The egg hunt has always been popular with Asbury's families," noted Larry Fishman, chief operating officer of Asbury Partners. "This year the Chamber wanted  the event to be bigger and better than ever, to reflect the city's renaissance and the new level of excitement downtown. Thanks to greater participation from area businesses and the Chamber's dedication, Asbury Park's families will enjoy a weekend-long celebration."

Moscow Circus Performance 1, 4, and 7 p.m. Saturday

Also on Saturday, The Stars of the World Famous Moscow State Circus will present three shows at Convention Hall, at 1, 4, and 7 p.m. The high-energy circus features talented international performers, including clowns, jugglers, acrobats, aerial ballerinas and comedy routines. Their more famous acts include aerial artists, The Wallendas, and Coco Kramer, the beloved circus clown. Adult tickets for the circus cost $22.00 and admit up to three children for free. Children's tickets are priced at $7.50 each, and discounts are available at local stores in Asbury Park. 

Easter Pageant Parade 1 p.m. Sunday

Topping off the Easter weekend is another beloved Asbury Park tradition: the 70th Annual Easter Pageant Parade sponsored by the City of Asbury Park, in conjunction with local businesses on Sunday, March 27. This event will take place from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Arcade in the Paramount Theatre and along the adjoining boardwalk, weather permitting. Participants are encouraged to wear their best Easter finery, and a panel of judges will choose a select group to compete for first, second and third place in six categories, including Best Dressed Man, Woman, Boy, Girl and Family. The final category is Most Unusual Homemade Bonnet. All Asbury Park residents are invited to stroll the newly renovated boardwalk and enjoy the afternoon's festivities. A group photo is also planned.

"Although it occurs early this year, Easter traditionally signals the arrival of spring and the return of warmer weather," said Fishman. "With last summer such a success for Asbury Park in terms of increased beach traffic and retail revenues, we are all looking forward to the start of the 2005 season."

The Oceanfront Asbury waterfront redevelopment plan includes residential, retail and entertainment components, as well as municipal services and urban empowerment initiatives to be completed in phases over 10 years. It will ultimately produce an estimated $1.25 billion in total economic redevelopment and restore the City's historic stature as the "Jewel of the Jersey Shore." Project planner Clarke Caton Hintz/Ehrenkrantz Eckstut & Kuhn Architects, a joint venture (CCH/EE&K), created its award-winning design. The project shifted into high gear this past fall with the launch of residential construction by its three sub-developers. Selected as master developer for Oceanfront Asbury in August 2001, Asbury Partners has invested more than $30 million in the project to date.