Summary: Unique venue, great volunteers, questionable ethics of the owner, and underpays artists…read more It is NOT a registered non-profit organization, despite what they claim! It is a unique venue that is good for small performances. The volunteer staff there is AMAZING - making artists and customers very comfortable and building a strong sense of community. I couldn't say enough good things about the unpaid volunteers who work there. A few serious problems with ownership of the venue, however: - Though they position themselves as "non-profit" they are NOT actually a registered nonprofit organization. - It is almost completely volunteer run... and those volunteers do it for the love of music and are unpaid (which doesn't seem fair given the ticket revenue). - The artists are offered a flat fee for performances (I've seen ~$500). - Ticket prices run $30-$60... and most events get sold out. At 70 seats, this means that they make at least $2500 per event (even after transaction fees). - This means that the owner is likely making $1500+ per show after overhead costs... (as mentioned, the volunteers are unpaid and it is positioned as a "nonprofit") On top of this, they solicit donations on their website... AND they actually pass a bucket around during shows, aggressively seeking "donations" to cover their costs (even though their costs are clearly covered by ticket prices). Since they are not an official nonprofit organization, they are not required to be transparent about where the donations and income from tickets go. In summary: the owner positions it as a "nonprofit"... but it appears that he is making SIGNIFICANT profit off the backs of the artists who perform and the VOLUNTEERS who work there. Nothing illegal about this - but it does appear to have ethical challenges. Recommendations: - Before donating, ask for details and records for how the money will be used - and get it in writing - If you donate, understand that it will NOT be tax deductible - If you are an artist considering performing there... DO NOT ACCEPT A SIMPLE FLAT FEE. Demand a ticket split in addition to the flat fee - and GET IT IN WRITING.

This used to be a great venue, but has turned into a nightmare that has gradually gotten worse. If…read moreyou're handicapped, I definitely don't suggest going there as there's no clear path to go once you get in the building, and the volunteers get annoyed with you about it. The owner/host is a dishonest, disrespectful, and unbearable pain in the ***. Some great acts will be playing, but I attended my final show there last night. I would have put zero stars but that's not an opti

Simply the best! Only surf shop we will go to. From their surf boards, lessons and their great…read morevariety of south end Beach Haven shirts and sweatshirts. Great local shop!! A must visit!

I came for the rainbows beach slides, I stayed for the super cute designs lauding the many things…read morethat make LBI unique including the red beach haven water tower, the 50-year anniversary of the shark attacks that inspired JAWS, and more. Owned and run by a local family, this is the spot for good vibes and good advice on swimming, surfing, skateboarding, and generally getting the most out of this great island.

They have a great collection anything and everything marine related. It was cool to see those. And…read moretheir staff is super nice and easy to talk to! It's very organized for a small museum.

I really didn't know what to expect. We were staying nearby and walked her. Loved every minute! The…read morekids especially were treated so nicely and the owners gave them a sharks tooth necklace and a painted sea shell complementary. We were there for hours. It may seem small but there is lots to see, watch and read. What was even cooler was there were a group of older peeps playing cards. So nice to see and so random. There is no cost to go inside but there are suggested donations...this was created and still run by a husband and wife team so be generous! ENJOY!

Is it insanely busy? Yes Is it worth going to? Absolutely,…read morebut there are a few caveats First of all, chowderfest has been around forever. Yours truly was one of the goofy volunteers working it when they were in high school. Now im the goofy chowder-eater/ beer drinker who gets to enjoy the day instead. Think of Chowderfest like a mini music festival with local bands, overpriced beer, and an absurd amount of chowder from all the restaurants you've known for years (and a few new ones). Each of the restaurants brings 400 gallons minimum, but I suspect some bring much more to make it through the day, which sounds like an absurd amount of soup until you realize just how many seafood-loving beachgoers are here to go to town on the offerings. walking in you're handed three chips to vote with at the end of the day; best white, best red, and most unique. The New England style (aka the best kind) is on the left side, the Manhattan-style is on the right. For me, K2 (Kubel's Too) was the winner this year, but the Chegg ran away with first place. As for the red, The Black whale stole the show in my opinion, though Lefty's (the winner) was pretty solid as well. As for unique, Woo Hoo did an icecream that blew my mind, but alas, they didn't win*. So remember how I told you the place was packed, and that there would be a caveat? Here it is. 15$ more gets you VIP tickets, letting you in an hour before the hoards can, in which time you can leisurely try all the chowder you want while simultaneously knowing deep down you're better than everyone paywalled outside the gates. For real though, this upgrade is absolutely worth it (even for access to the exclusive beer tent alone - the beer isn't any cheaper but you can get it faster). ______________ Either this contest is rigged, or I'm a bad judge....ok I'm a bad judge, but hey I still had fun.

This was my first year coming down to celebrate Chowderfest. Previously, I always was stuck working…read morethe weekend (#hospitallife). Once October hits, a lot of the usual tourists aren't around. The traffic lights flash red and yellow instead of their usual red yellow green. There are way less people taking up the tables at the OC and Mainland. But then you drive toward Chowderfest. The lights are up, the puttputt courses and mini fairground rides are teeming with kids and adults. You simply cannot find parking anywhere in a 5 block radius. We visited both the merch-mart on saturday and chowderfest on sunday. Both days were crowded but really fun. You get a beer mug for $3 to use all weekend. Beer, wine and vodka soda cans are $7 but you ideally purchase tickets and just hand them over instead of waiting on the pay line each time. There are bands playing while folks dance and sing along. Sunday is clearly the star of the show. Vendors set up with hundreds of gallons of chowder for the people to judge. You are handed three token when you walk in, a white, blue and red. Once you've made your rounds, you go to the voting tent and can vote on your favorite New England chowder, manhattan chowder and most unique. We had to hit up the new england section first. There were so many delicious vendors slinging rich, creamy cups of chowder. You make your way through, sampling as you go. Many people have cup holders but I was enjoying the sip and walk so none would get cold before enjoying them. Next we made our way through the unique category. There were clam chowder ice cream, poblano pepper chowder, lobster bisque. All were super delicious. Lastly, we hit up the lighter tomato based chowders. They had such delicious tomato vegetable bases. All of the categories were so difficult to choose from. I had such an incredible time. You don't realize how much variation people can put into specific food items until you try them all in a row. I am so happy that I finally had a chance to experience Chowderfest weekend! And I am SURE the restaurants flew through their hundreds of gallons of chowders.

We had a good experience with Jeff, Danielle, and Henry. With the private lesson, we spent a little…read morebit of time on the beach popping up and then hit the water. Caught some good waves even on a choppy day. All the instructors were friendly and we had a great time.

Amazing experience with all 3 of my kids! We did camps and lessons and all the instructors were…read morefantastic! We also rented beach cruiser bikes for the week. The staff was so helpful and friendly. This is our first stop for our family's next vacation in LBI!

It's always good to stop and learn a little about the place you're visiting, even if you're mostly…read morethere for fun. LOVED the rules for teachers from 1915 that were posted in the reproduction school classroom (less crazy about the original copy of Little Black Sambo, but hey, it was 1915). Also getting high reviews? the whale jaw and the pre-historic Indian dug-out canoe. It's worth killing an hour here, to learn something about the history of the island.

My son and daughter in law were married at the museum and the setting was beautiful. Unfortunately…read morethe woman who was there from the museum was very pushy, and tried to tell everyone what to do. The bride and groom knew what they wanted and she kept trying to change everything. I had bought a very special runner and she refused to let us use it. She kept telling my son to get back into the room while he was welcoming his guests. I was in the limo with my daughter in law while she was trying to facetime with her dad who was in the hospital and 3 days after the wedding had passed away. And this woman was waving her hands at us trying to get us to get out of the limo. My poor daughter in law was so upset, I told her not to worry about her that we would not leave the limo until she was able to connect to her dad. The woman should be there to open the door and leave the bride and groom alone.

- Small but sufficient amusement park in LBI, with plenty of age-appropriate rides for the little…read moreones - For the 2026 season, unlimited kiddie ride wristbands were available for $20 every Saturday and Sunday from 4-7p; adults can ride for free on a handful of the rides if their little one is below the required height to ride alone, which is a nice perk - Wait times weren't too bad for the rides, and the lines were definitely bearable for the young ones - The park is small but spacious enough that it doesn't feel overly crowded; it also appeared clean and well maintained during our visit - The employees operating the rides were nice and very friendly, especially with the little ones

THE GOOD ----------------…read more+ LOTS of kiddie rides (at our count 9) for the little ones and a few big kid rides. = Park only spans 1 square block and very small, which makes it very manageable to navigate with kids. ++++ Relatively short lines for all of the rides. Honey Bees had the longest line, by far. + $20 unlimited kiddie rides wristband every Sat and Sun from 4-7 PM. + Super clean park with no noticeable garbage on the floor. + Ride operators were alllll verrrrry thorough with making sure kids were secure. THE NOT SO GOOD ----------------------------- - Nada. MIXED THOUGHTS ---------------------------- = Nada. RANDOM OBSERVATIONS -------------------------------------- = Rides begin operating at 4 PM daily and it was bussssssy the second they opened for operation. + There is a private parking lot for the park in the back if you cannot find street parking.

The service here is tops!! I love getting bath and shower…read moreproducts here. Natural ingredients and the scents are so relaxing. Tubbies are complete bliss!! I've also purchased face masks and hair shampoo here. I see they have classes here!! I wanna attend one of these this summer!! Paper Making with Botanicals : June 18 ! Chainstitch a Tote with Lily : June 28 How adorable!! Love the products here!! I will be back!

From the owner: Root is an eco-friendly & house plant shoppe on Long Beach Island, NJ. We are the first refill…read moreshoppe helping you use less plastic and refill common household products, along with providing a variety of items to live a healthy, low waste lifestyle. Root also carries personal care & ritual products to enhance your selfcare routine. We also host classes & drop-in for all who want to play in the dirt and get crafty!

All the staff here is absolutely amazing and so helpful! This is definitely the place to be if…read moreyou're looking for a friendly welcome. The blonde with the coolest nails that I've seen a few times is especially kind and helpful!

We absolutely adore this place. Not only is it the best place to golf on the whole island...the…read morestaff is simply above and beyond. From the second we got there today the young man at the register picked out my daughter's ball color cause it matched her dress. And the interaction made her smile from ear to ear. Then she took a bit of a tumble of the golf course. Not only did he take care of her with the first aid kit, he distracted her from crying by helping her feed the birds and made her laugh. I hope the owner sees this post. This is what makes people continue to come back time and time again. We've already been here twice in 24 hours, I promise you we will be back at least 4 more times before the vacation is over.