Some beach towns have events.
Sea Isle City seems to collect reasons to throw a party.
Actually, that feels pretty appropriate considering one of the town’s unofficial philosophies is:
“There’s Always A Reason To Smile In Sea Isle.”
And after looking around for a while, you start realizing they may actually mean it.
Because Sea Isle has developed a wonderfully quirky habit of turning ordinary ideas into full-blown traditions.
Take February, for example.
Most people spend February trying to stay warm.
Sea Isle looked at winter and apparently decided:
“Let’s run directly into the Atlantic Ocean.”
Every year, thousands of brave, slightly questionable, and extremely enthusiastic people gather for the Polar Bear Plunge.
People arrive wearing ridiculous costumes.
Penguins.
Superheroes.
Bananas.
Things that probably shouldn’t even exist.
Then they sprint together into forty-degree ocean water while crowds cheer from the beach.
Why?
Excellent question.
Nobody seems entirely sure.
But everybody looks like they’re having fun.
Then, after voluntarily freezing themselves, they celebrate with block parties, music, and enough activity to make it feel less like surviving winter and more like defeating it.
Then there is Sara.
Not a celebrity.
Not a local politician.
Not even a real turtle.
Sara the Turtle is an entirely made-up local character celebrated with her own annual festival.
And somehow that makes it even better.
Families gather for environmental activities, wildlife demonstrations, crafts, and one of the most gloriously random competitions imaginable:
The Diaper Derby.
Yes.
Babies racing.
Against other babies.
Because apparently Sea Isle eventually looked at sports and thought:
“Needs more crawling.”
Sea Isle also carries one of the Jersey Shore’s most famous cultural words:
Shoobie.
Long ago, day-trippers arrived carrying lunches in shoeboxes, earning themselves the nickname.
Originally?
Not exactly flattering.
Today?
It’s more of a playful badge of honor.
Almost everybody becomes a Shoobie at some point.
And perhaps modern Sea Isle’s most wonderfully strange tradition floats.
Literally.
Floating tiki hut tours cruise through the back bays carrying groups of people beneath thatched roofs while music drifts over the water.
Because apparently somebody looked at boats and thought:
“Needs more tropical vacation energy.”
Honestly…
Solid call.
Maybe that’s Sea Isle’s secret.
The town doesn’t seem interested in taking itself too seriously.
It just keeps finding new reasons to smile.
And judging by the frozen ocean plunges, turtle festivals, and floating tiki huts…
They’re doing a pretty good job of it.