Clockwise from left: A festive gathering at the Exit Zero Filling Station; Le Petite Mansard is a private residence on the holiday tour; a fig sidecar at the Virginia Hotel’s Ebbitt Room; a toast at Blue Pig Tavern; a duo of wreaths bedeck the doors of a Victorian home; Reese, age 4, is all smiles on a colorful carousel; a frosty peppermint milkshake at Exit Zero Filling Station; see the sights from a horse-drawn carriage. Photos by Jessica Orlowicz
Cape May has been making spirits bright for more than a century. The charming seaside town, full of Victorian architectural treasures, gets decked out for the holidays starting in mid-November. It’s a place where bah, humbug just doesn’t cut it. With twinkling gaslights, trolley rides, candlelight house tours, delicious dining and an actual Winter Wonderland, even the grouchiest of grinches can’t help but get in the holiday spirit. There’s something for everyone on your list, from ages 1 to 92.
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Congress Hall
Congress Hall, clockwise from left: Carolers at the Christmas-tree lighting; Mrs. Claus joins in the fun at Breakfast with Santa, an elaborate buffet offered Saturdays and Sundays throughout the season; the Winter Wonderland shopping village. Photos by Jessica Orlowicz
The grande dame of them all, Congress Hall, the country’s oldest seaside resort, doesn’t hold back during the yuletide season. Some 45,000 feet of cedar roping and 10,000 lights are strung around the property; another 5,000 lights festoon its 30-foot Christmas tree.
Shining through the holiday season since 1816, Congress Hall’s Winter Wonderland is an indoor/outdoor celebration complete with festive holiday decorations, shopping at Vendors Village, rides on the resort’s carousel and Congress Hall Express train, activities at Santa’s workshop and more. It runs through December 31.
Breakfast with Santa takes place every Saturday and Sunday through December 24, from 8 am to 3 pm. An elaborate breakfast buffet, highlighted by a visit from jolly old St. Nick, is served in the resort’s ballroom.
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Christmas Candelight House Tours
Renowned year-round for its charming Victorian architecture, Cape May transforms itself into a Dickensian village during December. Visitors can take a magical nighttime tour of dozens of homes and inns, all decked out for the season.
Tours are self-guided; participants can walk or ride a trolley. Choose from a Christmas Candlelight House Tour, a Holiday Inns Tour or a Holiday Lights Trolley Ride—and snag your tickets sooner rather than later; they book up quickly!
The Washington Street Mall
This pedestrian-only promenade comes alive with holiday spirit all season long. Most retailers stay open late; stroll through a mix of antique shops, souvenir and novelty shops, and high-end boutiques. Decorated with lights and greenery and highlighted by strolling carolers, the Mall is great for people watching and the occasional Santa sighting.
Beach Plum Farm
Beach Plum Farm, clockwise from left: The candlelit Marsh Trail; the Hidden Barn Christmas tree; the Hoop House decorated and set for holiday guests. Photos by Jessica Orlowicz
Beach Plum Farm is a quick two-mile drive from the center of downtown. The 62-acre working farm welcomes overnight guests in cottages all year long, but literally sparkles during its holiday farm-to-table dinner series, which take place Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays through December 21. The evening begins with a hayride tour of the farm fields, followed by a candlelit stroll through the Woodland Trail for a cocktail hour. The family-style meal features the farm’s pasture-raised turkey and pork, fresh scallops and just-harvested winter vegetables and herbs.
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