Children learned how to build sandcastles at Beachstock.
By NANETTE LoBIONDO GALLOWAY
MARGATE – Everyone was smiling on the beach today as the Margate Business Association held its 10th Beachstock festival, which it bills as the planet’s biggest beach party. The festival was cancelled last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Boasting two big stages, plenty of live music, activities, sand sculpting, nature displays, food, volleyball and cornhole tournaments, polynesian dancers, and a beer garden, thousands flocked to the beach between Huntington and Granville avenues Saturday, to celebrate the start of summer and the end of the coronavirus pandemic.
Madelyn and Joanne Santori enjoy a drink in the shade.
Joanne Santori and her daughter Madelyn stood under a tent to enjoy a cocktail.
“We love it, the food, the arts and crafts, the music. Everyone is just so happy and it’s a great vibe,” Joanne Santori said.
Madelyn Santori added, “This is like our first time out. It’s really nice to be around people in an outdoor setting.”
MBA President Ed Berger, who was working the beer garden tent, said organizers held off the rain, ordered a gentle seabreeze and brought out the sunshine on a day that looked like it would rain.
“We did it all,” Berger said. “It’s a perfect day for the planet’s biggest beach party.”
“People are saying this is the best Beachstock ever,” MBA Executive Director Anna Maria Blescia said. “Everyone needed to get out and they feel comfortable being here.”
Dozens of experts lined up to play cornhole and vie for the $1,000 grand prize, $500 second place prize and the $250 third prize.
Cornhole play at Beachstock.
According to cornhole tournament co-chairman Michael Collins, there were two tournaments on Saturday. The first was the finals of the Spring Cornhole League, which was won by the Fun Bags team of Bryan and Megan Goelz. They competed for weeks at local watering holes and planned to play in the Beachstock one-day tournament, as well.
Blescia said the cornhole tournament idea really took off in Margate this spring.
“It’s outta control, people and the businesses love it,” she said.
Collins said registration is open for summer league play at Robert’s Place, Bocca Coal Fired Bistro, Maynard’s Café and Ventura’s Greenhouse.
“The bars love it. It brings 20 people out on a Monday night,” he said.
Teams can register at margatehasmore.com. The fee is $80 per team and proceeds benefit the MBA’s scholarship and student support programs.
Adjacent to the kid’s stage, Sustainable Margate Chairman Steve Jasiecki was conducting the “Wonders of the Beach” program. He was showing children the baby terrapins that were rescued and brought to Ray Scott’s Dock, where Robin Scott raises them until they are big enough to let loose on the beach.
“She nurtures them for a few months until they are big enough to escape the wrath of the seagulls,” he said.
In another bucket, he had other treasures of the sea, which the children found fascinating.
Louise and Chris Marcon, who recently bought a house in Margate, said they were attending their very first Beachstock.
“We love live music, the beach and cheap beer. Sign me up,” Chris Marcon said.
And Kathy Hays of Pleasantville made a day of it, starting out with an early morning exercise class at the JCC.
“Before I came here to Beachstock, I went to the Margate City Public Library, and I plan to stay late and enjoy the bonfire and bands,” she said.
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