Southern New Jersey Region Overlook!

Kirby's Mill Annual Apple Festival 2008 on October 11th

Thu, 02 Oct 2008 13:40:27 -0500

Don't forget to mark you calendars for the upcoming Apple Festival at Kirby's Mill in Medford, NJ. It will be the 30th anniversay of this popular annual event.

Date: October 11, 2008

Time: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

According it's sponsor, the Medford Historical Society, "More than 100 arts and crafts booths welcome visitors. Lively Celtic music by Jennifer Mylod and the Boys of O'cean will set feet tapping. Good food, children's activities and an inflatable Wizard's Castle bounce make it an unforgettable event for the whole family. Get there early to sample the Apple Bake Off entries. For more information, call Bill Stauts at 609-654-5382."

There is plenty to see, eat and do at the festival and surrounding Medford area.

Realty Reality - Blog Posts - Highlights - September 2008

Wed, 01 Oct 2008 21:56:05 -0500

Here are some of the Realty Reality blog articles that appeared during the past month of September:

NOAA: Keeping Seafood Safe and Plentiful
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has developed a comprehensive Web site that offers valuable information on availability, safety, quality, preparation, and health guidelines for your favorite seafood...

HUD Allocates $4 Billion To Stablize Neighborhoods Hard-Hit By Foreclosures
U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Steve Preston today allocated a total of $3.92 billion to all states and particularly hard-hit areas trying to respond to the effects of high foreclosures....

Housing Crisis Testament to the Destructive Power of Bad Lending Practices
Center For Responsible Lending: Today's housing crisis is a stunning testament to the destructive power of bad lending practices...

Federal Reserve Policy Statement On Equity Investments In Banks
The Federal Reserve Board on Monday announced the approval of a policy statement on equity investments in banks and bank holding companies...

Tax Credit Aids First-Time Homebuyers
First-time homebuyers should begin planning now to take advantage of a new tax credit included in the recently enacted Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008...

Locate Local Gas Stations and Lowest Gas Prices
Wanting to find the local best gas prices in your home town or area in which you are traveling? Then check out the following sites for the locations of gas stations and current pricing...

Hurricane Tracking Resources On the Internet
There are several excellent resources for tracking hurricanes that are available on the Internet. They provide graphics, maps, news and even live video feeds...

Canadians Are Biggest Foreign Buyers of U.S. Homes
The strong Canadian dollar has led many Canadian investors to buy properties in the U.S. The largest proportion of foreign buyers of U.S. homes from May 2007 to May 2008 -- 24% -- were Canadian, double the percentage a year earlier...

Federal Reserve Beige Book September 2008 Report
Reports from the twelve Federal Reserve Districts indicate that the pace of economic activity has been slow in most Districts. Many described business conditions as "weak," "soft," or "subdued." Cleveland and St. Louis reported some weakening since their last reports while Boston and New York noted signs of stabilization. Kansas City reported a slight improvement...

For real estate resources, help and support services in acquiring or selling properties in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, Visit my web site: LawrenceYerkes.com

and visit Besthomes-NJ.com to shop for the latest New Jersey Real Estate property listings (Residential, Commercial, Multi-Family, Farm, Land).

Guidelines and Welcome to the Commercial Real Estate Services and Products Group

Sat, 13 Sep 2008 19:41:23 -0500

Welcome to the ActiveRain Commercial Real Estate Services and Products Group!

This is provided for those that want to announce or find providers of services and/or products related to the Commercial Real Estate Industry. These can include, but are not limited to, Commercial Real Estate agents or franchises, Commercial Loan Brokers or any service provider connected in anyway with Commercial Real Estate.

Note: DO NOT add as comments to this post... instead, create a new blog article(s) about your service/product then continue and follow instructions below...

Only entries related to Commercial Real Estate services and products will be allowed. Title should include a [very] short description of the type of service or product, along with location if appropriate.

Warning: Do not use ALL CAPS in the title as it gives appearance of being spam. They will be automatically removed.

Please feel free to contribute and to make any comments and suggestions about the direction this group should take and the topics for discussion.

Burlington County Year-to-Month Residential Sales Statistics - Through August 2008

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 01:32:20 -0500

When looking at the year-to-month actual statistics (using the most recently completed month of August vs. July, June, May, April, March and January) for Burlington County, the results for residential homes on the market, sold, average price and days for sale before close is charted as follows:

Yr Ending	Units Listed	Units Sold	% Sold	Sold Avg.	Avg. Dom
08/2008	11190	4453	40	$269,695	86
07/2008	11400	4605	40	$271,472	85
06/2008	11582	4759	41	$274,299	84
05/2008	11778	4870	41	$276,912	82
04/2008	12010	4937	41	$277,836	81
03/2008	12125	5045	42	$278,790	80
01/2008	12315	5169	42	$280,022	79

See previous article for prior year 01/200X year-to-date comparisons.

This shows that the trend is still slowly downward, but hopefully will soon begin leveling.

The current inventory is 4185, with an average monthly Sold of 342, yielding a backlog of 12 months to sell off the inventory at current rates of sale.

Camden County Year-to-Month Residential Sales Statistics - Through August 2008

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 01:16:32 -0500

When looking at the year-to-month actual statistics (using the most recently completed month of August vs. July, June, May, April, March and January) for Camden County, the results for residential homes on the market, sold, average price and days for sale before close is charted as follows:

Yr Ending	Units Listed	Units Sold	% Sold	Sold Avg.	Avg. Dom
08/2008	12197	4648	38.1	$212,517	77
07/2008	12406	4849	39.1	$214,633	76
06/2008	12485	4922	39.4	$215,048	75
05/2008	12724	5101	40.1	$214,872	74
04/2008	12979	5264	40.5	$216,593	73
03/2008	13033	5393	41.3	$217,185	72
01/2008	13266	5783	44.0	$217,372	81

See previous article for prior year 01/200X year-to-date comparison.

This shows that while the trend is now slightly downward, it appears that it is attempting to level and hopefully will soon begin to reverse direction.

The current inventory is 4494, with an average monthly Sold of 357, yielding a backlog of 12 months to sell off the inventory at current rates of sale.

Gloucester County Year-to-Month Residential Sales Statistics - Through August 2008

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 00:55:28 -0500

When looking at the year-to-month actual statistics (using the most recently completed month of August vs. July, June, May, April, March and January) for Gloucester County, the results for residential homes on the market, sold, average price and days for sale before close is charted as follows:

Yr Ending	Units Listed	Units Sold	% Sold	Sold Avg.	Avg. Dom
08/2008	6618	2588	39	$237,989	85
07/2008	6725	2707	40	$240,303	83
06/2008	6811	2781	41	$241,069	81
05/2008	6907	2899	42	$242,685	80
04/2008	7053	2959	42	$244,053	80
03/2008	7233	3055	42	$243,945	78
01/2008	7108	3135	44	$245,347	75

See previous article for prior year 01/200X year-to-date comparison.

This shows that the trend is continuing to show a downward tendency, it appears to be slow, and hopefully will start to level and even reverse direction.

The current inventory is 2563, with an average monthly Sold of 199, yielding a backlog of 12 months to sell off the inventory at current rates of sale.

Mercer County Year-to-Month Residential Sales Statistics - Through August 2008

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 00:42:40 -0500

When looking at the year-to-month actual statistics (using the most recently completed month of August vs. July, June, May, April, March and January) for for Mercer County, the results for residential homes on the market, sold, average price and days for sale before close is charted as follows:

Yr Ending	Units Listed	Units Sold	% Sold	Sold Avg.	Avg. Dom
08/2008	6938	3167	46	$366,121	84
07/2008	7048	3252	46	$367,289	83
06/2008	7251	3355	46	$366,288	83
05/2008	7467	3451	46	$366,879	83
04/2008	7776	3559	46	$362,752	82
03/2008	7853	3643	46	$363,213	82
01/2008	8131	3903	48	$359,802	82

This shows that the trend is leveling and soon beginning to reverse direction.

The current inventory is 2556, with an average monthly Sold of 263, yielding a backlog of 9 months to sell off the inventory at current rates of sale.

Salem County Year-to-Month Residential Sales Statistics - Through August 2008

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 00:16:22 -0500

When looking at the year-to-month actual statistics (using the most recently completed month of August vs. July, June, May, April, March and January) for Salem County, the results for residential homes on the market, sold, average price and days for sale before close is charted as follows:

Yr Ending	Units Listed	Units Sold	% Sold	Sold Avg.	Avg. Dom
08/2008	1330	474	36	$193,225	98
07/2008	1336	497	37	$194,257	101
06/2008	1374	515	37	$195,351	100
05/2008	1364	528	39	$194,997	98
04/2008	1351	522	39	$194,137	96
03/2008	1376	563	41	$196,680	97
01/2008	1406	598	43	$195,497	95

This shows that the trend is still slightly downward and hopefully may be attempting to level and even soon begin to reverse direction.

The current inventory is 642, with an average monthly Sold of 39, yielding a backlog of 16 months to sell off the inventory at current rates of sale.

Realty Reality - Blog Posts - Highlights - August 2008

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 15:36:18 -0500

Here are some of the Realty Reality blog articles that appeared during the past month of August:

Renter's Insurance
While homeowner's insurance is almost an assumption for anyone buying a home and auto insurance is mandated by law, renter's have never sought insurance protection in large numbers. Studies have shown that as few as 40 percent of all tenants are covered by renter's insurance. With tenancy rates once again on the rise, now is a good time to examine the benefits of renter's insurance...

What To Do When facing an ARM Reset
This August, some homeowners have been feeling a little more than the usual heat. By the end of this summer, over 300,000 subprime adjustable rate mortgages will "reset" from lower introductory rates to current market rates. The change in rate can equate to a tough-to-stomach bump in monthly payments, especially for loans that feature extra-low "teaser" rates...

Grill Tips for Your Backyard Barbeque
Summer time or any nice warm day is the right time to head out of the kitchen and into the backyard for a little cooking al fresco. Whether a quiet evening at home with the family or a full-fledged block party, there's nothing quite like a meal freshly cooked and hot of the grill. Here are some grilling tips for novices and BBQ pros alike...

Improved VA Benefits Aid Disabled Veterans in Adapting Homes
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) will use a locality-based approach in raising ceilings on its no-downpayment home loans from the current $417,000 to as much as $729,000...

2008 IRS Report of Foreign-Controlled Domestic Corporations
The Internal Revenue Service(IRS) ay released the summer 2008 issue of the Statistics of Income Bulletin, which features tax year 2005 data on the growth in profits and tax liability reported by foreign-controlled domestic corporations...

For real estate resources, help and support services in acquiring or selling properties in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, Visit my web site: LawrenceYerkes.com

and visit Besthomes-NJ.com to shop for the latest New Jersey Real Estate property listings (Residential, Commercial, Multi-Family, Farm, Land).

Internet Explorer 8 Beta 2 and Compatibility View

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 14:17:56 -0500

Microsoft recently release it's new Internet Explore 8 Beta 2 for public downloading. While the look is not dramatically different from Internet Explorer 7, it does have several new and enhanced features that many will find attractive: Accelerators, InPrivate Browsing and Blocking, SmartScreen filter, Search Suggestions, Web Slicing and more.

If you currently have custom applications that specifically require IE 7 to run, then you may not want to download and install IE 8 for now (as it will replace your current version of Internet Explorer). However, if you are technologically adventurous and want to take advantage of the new features, then the Beta 2 release of IE 8 may be worth the inherent risks in using beta software. Also, there is a feature in the current release of IE 8 that may allow you to experience the new features as well as access sites as if it is IE 7 -- that feature is called "Compatibility View".

In the past, when upgrading to a major new release if IE, you faced many compatibility issues over an extended period until all web sites and applications were upgraded to properly work with the new version of the browser. With Compatibility View, you now have the capability to switch to a compatibility mode that will act and look to the web site (or application) you are accessing as if it was IE 7. This means, in many cases, you can take advantage of IE 8 features now, but when needed, you can just click an icon and switch your browser to function like IE 7.

I've downloaded and installed IE 8. As I've already stated, it overwrites and replaces IE 7. On most of the regular sites I've accessed, I've noticed little difference other than some minor display formatting problems. Sites that will not work with IE 8, resulting in browser hanging and/or displaying an invalid browser message; so far have exhibited no problems after switching to Compatibility View mode.

As Microsoft explains, "A new UI button, which is coupled with policy settings, controls the Compatibility View feature. The button is located in the navigation bar, just to the right of the Address bar and next to the Refresh button. The button only appears when it is practical to switch into Compatibility View, for example when you view Standards mode webpages. In all other cases, including Quirks mode webpages or an intranet site that is already being displayed in Compatibility View, the button is hidden."

A Few Examples:
1. Our local regional MLS (Trend), will not work and gives you an error message if you attempt to log in using IE 8. After I click on the Compatibility View icon, it works. [Note: Officially, Trend will not support IE 8 until it is officially released in it's final non-Beta form.]

2. Our RE/MAX of New Jersey web site works fine for public access. For agent administration, it allows you to log in, but certain features would hang in IE 8. Again, after switching to Compatibility View mode, the features then worked.

3. ActiveRain.com for the most part works in IE 8. The exceptions I encounted so far were the automatic lookup window that pops up when typing in blog tags and some minor display formatting. Both issues were resolved in Compatibility View mode (IE 7). There was also some sporadic problems with not being able to copy and past between browser windows, in IE 8. [Note: This blog was done entirely in IE 8, with temporary switch to compatibility mode for entering tags so I could view the tag pop-up window.]

Caution: If you're currently required to use a version of Internet Explore previous to IE 7, then do not install IE 8 as you will not have compatibility with older versions.

UPDATE: See comment about McAfee software

Compatibility View also automatically remembers a site when you revisit it by maintaining a list of websites for compatibility (IE 7) mode; allows you to manually add sites to list; and lets you set all website and/or intranet sites to compatibility view mode. Settings are accessed via the "Tools" drop-down menu on the IE Command or Menu toolbars.

Beijing 2008 Olympics Coverage Resource

Sun, 10 Aug 2008 06:47:00 -0500

The quality and amount of online and TV coverage continues to expand and improve with each Olympics as the technology allows.

This year, if you can't get enough Olympics with your regular local NBC TV station coverage, you can access one of the other NBC channels, including HD quality broadcasts, plus have access to live and recorded streaming video on the Internet.

In addition many major news and sports sites have extended coverage and results tracking. Then there is also the official Beijing 2008 and related Olympics sites.

Click here for links to major Olympics information, results and viewing resources.

Medford Lakes NJ Canoe Carnival 2008 - Update!

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 13:53:25 -0500

Medford Lakes enjoyed another successful Canoe Carnival for 2008 this past weekend. As always it was a great time for the community, families and friends to celebrate the uniqueness that's Medford Lakes.

There had originally been weather reports calling for showers in the evening, but the historical trend in Medford Lakes of no rain on the first Saturday in August was once again upheld. The the festivities went off without any rain, dispite threatening clouds during the day, and even providing a beautiful sunset of the lake.

Around 9 pm the signal was sounded for the Canoe Floats to dismbark from their dock moorings. As always, it's amazing to see the ingenuity and creativity that displayed by local individuals and groups and on display for the thousands of appreciative spectators surrounding Lower Aetna Lake.

Here are some pictures taken that evening curing the Canoe Carnival...

Spectators getting ready to watch the event from Beach One:

Views from from another location of lake, just prior to parade of Canoe Floats:

Here are some (not all) of the the great Floats we experienced (without the sounds, activity and performances that you would enjoy if seeing it live):

Kickin' Around The Lake (by The Dry Docks):

"Re-Cycle of Life" (by Girl Scouts of America):

Rie On the Magid School Bus (by Jr. Friends of Medford UMC):

An Incovenient Float (by the Unlikely's):

Sea Cruise (by Friends of Medford UMC):

Horton Hears The Who (by A Group Named Sioux):

Neeta School Musical (by the Next Generation):

Welcome Back (by Ladies of the Lakes):

Splish Splash - We're Takin' A Bath (by The Hardwick Family):

Still The One (by On The Rocks):

The Boys Are Back In Town (by The Scrub Pines):

It's Cool To Bee Green (by Medford Lakes Up-N Comers)

Iron Man (by Barely Afloat):

(Note: Two red lights were on the flat bottom of a large moving Steam Iron.)

If you missed it these year, be sure to mark your calendars for next year's Canoe Carnival (remember, it's always the first Saturday in August).

Burlington County Year-to-Month Residential Sales Statistics - Through July 2008

Sat, 02 Aug 2008 23:53:10 -0500

When looking at the year-to-month actual statistics (using the most recently completed month of July vs. June, May, April, March and January) for Burlington County, the results for residential homes on the market, sold, average price and days for sale before close is charted as follows:

Yr Ending	Units Listed	Units Sold	% Sold	Sold Avg.	Avg. Dom
07/2008	11400	4605	40	$271,472	85
06/2008	11582	4759	41	$274,299	84
05/2008	11778	4870	41	$276,912	82
04/2008	12010	4937	41	$277,836	81
03/2008	12125	5045	42	$278,790	80
01/2008	12315	5169	42	$280,022	79

See previous article for prior year 01/200X year-to-date comparisons.

This shows that the trend is still slowly downward, but hopefully will soon begin levelling.

The current inventory is 4259, with an average monthly Sold of 355, yielding a backlog of 11 months to sell off the inventory at current rates of sale.

Camden County Year-to-Month Residential Sales Statistics - Through July 2008

Sat, 02 Aug 2008 23:44:02 -0500

When looking at the year-to-month actual statistics (using the most recently completed month of July vs. June, May, April, March and January) for Camden County, the results for residential homes on the market, sold, average price and days for sale before close is charted as follows:

Yr Ending	Units Listed	Units Sold	% Sold	Sold Avg.	Avg. Dom
07/2008	12406	4849	39.1	$214,633	76
06/2008	12485	4922	39.4	$215,048	75
05/2008	12724	5101	40.1	$214,872	74
04/2008	12979	5264	40.5	$216,593	73
03/2008	13033	5393	41.3	$217,185	72
01/2008	13266	5783	44.0	$217,372	81

See previous article for prior year 01/200X year-to-date comparison.

This shows that while the trend is now slightly downward, it appears that it is attempting to level and hopefully will soon begin to reverse direction.

The current inventory is 4516, with an average monthly Sold of 372, yielding a backlog of 12 months to sell off the inventory at current rates of sale.

Gloucester County Year-to-Month Residential Sales Statistics - Through July 2008

Sat, 02 Aug 2008 23:36:29 -0500

When looking at the year-to-month actual statistics (using the most recently completed month of July vs. June, May, April, March and January) for Gloucester County, the results for residential homes on the market, sold, average price and days for sale before close is charted as follows:

Yr Ending	Units Listed	Units Sold	% Sold	Sold Avg.	Avg. Dom
07/2008	6725	2707	40	$240,303	83
06/2008	6811	2781	41	$241,069	81
05/2008	6907	2899	42	$242,685	80
04/2008	7053	2959	42	$244,053	80
03/2008	7233	3055	42	$243,945	78
01/2008	7108	3135	44	$245,347	75

The current inventory is 2610, with an average monthly Sold of 208, yielding a backlog of 12 months to sell off the inventory at current rates of sale.

Salem County Year-to-Month Residential Sales Statistics - Through July 2008

Sat, 02 Aug 2008 23:27:39 -0500

When looking at the year-to-month actual statistics (using the most recently completed month of July vs. June, May, April, March and January) for Salem County, the results for residential homes on the market, sold, average price and days for sale before close is charted as follows:

Yr Ending	Units Listed	Units Sold	% Sold	Sold Avg.	Avg. Dom
07/2008	1336	497	37	$194,257	101
06/2008	1374	515	37	$195,351	100
05/2008	1364	528	39	$194,997	98
04/2008	1351	522	39	$194,137	96
03/2008	1376	563	41	$196,680	97
01/2008	1406	598	43	$195,497	95

This shows that the trend is still slightly downward and hopefully may be attempting to level and even soon begin to reverse direction.

The current inventory is 622, with an average monthly Sold of 41, yielding a backlog of 15 months to sell off the inventory at current rates of sale.

Mercer County Year-to-Month Residential Sales Statistics - Through July 2008

Sat, 02 Aug 2008 23:18:01 -0500

When looking at the year-to-month actual statistics (using the most recently completed month of July vs. June, May, April, March and January) for for Mercer County, the results for residential homes on the market, sold, average price and days for sale before close is charted as follows:

Yr Ending	Units Listed	Units Sold	% Sold	Sold Avg.	Avg. Dom
07/2008	7048	3252	46	$367,289	83
06/2008	7251	3355	46	$366,288	83
05/2008	7467	3451	46	$366,879	83
04/2008	7776	3559	46	$362,752	82
03/2008	7853	3643	46	$363,213	82
01/2008	8131	3903	48	$359,802	82

This shows that the trend is leveling and possibly beginning to reverse direction.

The current inventory is 2579, with an average monthly Sold of 251, yielding a backlog of 10 months to sell off the inventory at current rates of sale.

Realty Reality - Blog Posts - Highlights - July 2008

Sat, 02 Aug 2008 18:02:38 -0500

Here are some of the Realty Reality blog articles that appeared during the past month of July:

Dreamtowns Offer Refuge From Big Cities
Many homeowner's surveyed, said that they would prefer to live in a smaller towns. This knowledge is important to buyer's agents because they may service the special needs of buyers moving from a metropolitan area to rural regions...

Economic Outlook for Real Estate: No Recession In Sight
The National Association of Business Economics (NABE) is "an association of professionals who have an interest in business economics and who want to use the latest economic data and trends to enhance their ability ability to make sound business decisions"...

The Custom "McMansion"
Mass market builders are moving towards building custom homes to gain the attraction of home buyers who want one of-a-kind-homes. This offers buyers the option to build their dream home without the typical high prices. Pass this article along to your buyers, especially if you have buyers that are looking to custom build their home...

Federal Reserve Beige Book July 2008 Report
Reports from the twelve Federal Reserve Districts suggest that the pace of economic activity slowed somewhat since the last report...

Interactive Tool Helps Families Stay Safer In and Around The Pool
Home Safety Council (HSC) research shows that drowning is one of the leading causes of unintentional injury-related death across all age groups, yet a recent study commissioned by the national, nonprofit organization found that only six percent of respondents have taken any action to prevent drowning incidents at home...

Sleepover "Test Drive" By Buyers
Though buyers can visit a home many times during the day, some sellers are now offering, and some buyers are requesting, the chance for the buyers to stay overnight at a home for sale. Buyers are able to get a complete feel of the home by staying there for an extended period...

How To Avoid Foreclosure On Your Home
...You can stop foreclosure on your home and save your credit, but you have to act quickly and learn what options are available for your situation...

T. Boone's Plan For Energy Independence
The oil tycoon, T. Boone Pickens, has developed a plan to reduce America's independence on foreign oil though the alternate use of natural gas and expanding the harnessing of our greatest natural resource: wind, along with solar energy...

World Energy Usage Will Grow 50% Before 2030
World marketed energy consumption is projected to grow by 50 percent between 2005 and 2030, driven by robust economic growth and expanding populations in the world's developing countries, according to the reference case projection from the International Energy Outlook 2008 (IEO2008) released recently by the Energy Information Administration (EIA)...

Real American Stories by Fox News
Fox News has started a web site called, "Real American Stories". It is designed to share American stories to "appreciate who we are and how truly fortunate we are to be part of the American experience."...

Celebrate Independence Day 2008 With Fireworks
Delaware Valley has many opportunities to enjoy fireworks. If you live in or near South Jersey, you have many opportunities to enjoy fireworks displays put on by local communities...

Is Now A Good Time to Buy or Sell Real Estate?
Many of us, who are contemplating buying or selling real estate, are trying to predict the market and reduce our risk of making a bad financial decision. A question is usually asked, "Is now a good time to buy or sell real estate, especially a residence?"...

For real estate resources, help and support services in acquiring or selling properties in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, Visit my web site: LawrenceYerkes.com

and visit Besthomes-NJ.com to shop for the latest New Jersey Real Estate property listings (Residential, Commercial, Multi-Family, Farm, Land).

Pine Barrens Festival 2008 at Holy Eucharist Church

Sat, 02 Aug 2008 16:13:03 -0500

The Church of the Holy Eucharist, located in Tabernacle, NJ, is celebrating their 20th annual Pine Barrens Festival held on the grounds of the church, starting August 4th (Monday) through August 9th (Saturday), 2008.

Festivities include food, beverages, rides and entertainment nightly and all day Saturday. See the official Pine Barrens Festival web site for details, including event schedules and directions, plus festival photos from the previous year.

A highlight each day with be "Focus On Our Town" in which one of the surrounding municipalities of Tabernacle, Medford, Medford Lakes, Southampton, Shamong and Woodland (Chatsworth) will each be honoring a community member who has contributed outstanding service to their respective community.

According to the official web site, "If you have never attended the festival, here is what you can expect: delicious foods, exciting games, fabulous rides, live entertainment, prizes, cultural information just great fun for family and friends. Admission and parking are free! There is something for everyone."

Pine Barrens Festival

Medford Lakes NJ Canoe Carnival 2008 - Tonight!

Sat, 02 Aug 2008 14:53:11 -0500

One of the highlights of the Medford Lakes experience is the annual Canoe Carnival held on the first Saturday in August. Everyone looks forward to this time where the community comes together to celebrate the uniqueness of Medford Lakes and enjoy the fellowship of family and friends in a Mardi Gras type of atmosphere, culminating in a parade of canoe floats on the water. (That description doesn't do it justice, you have to experience it!)

There are a lot of preparations and planning leading up to this event, including the campaigning and voting on the King and Queen of the Canoe Carnival and the Court. They were announced yesterday, and will be appearing on one of the procession of floats that will embark from their docks at dark, when the signal to begin is given. Kids and people of all ages are always fascinated by the creativity and ingenuity that goes into the making of the floats.

Starting at 7pm, on Beach One, there will be a Master of Ceremonies, who will introduce the live entertainment and featured participants prior to the parade of canoe floats, and will then introduce each float as it goes by.

See the Colony Club website for more details about the Canoe Carnival.

See my previous articles about the Medford Lakes Canoe Carnival that describe it in more detail and provide some historical background.

Wider view of above photo:

Another view of lake showing some of the preparations for tonights Canoe Carnival: