Happy New Year to all!

We had a wonderful holiday season here in Sea Isle City, and our 2025 events were very well attended and brought a great amount of joy to many people. I hope you were able to enjoy the numerous events and activities that took place, including the “holiday happenings” hosted by the city as well as the various Christmas events sponsored by the wonderful civic organizations and churches that call Sea Isle City home. Later in December, when New Year’s Eve arrived, our town was bustling with homeowners and visitors who were happy to welcome 2026 in their favorite seaside community (and enjoy our annual New Year’s Eve fireworks display).

The arrival of the new year always brings with it new opportunities and undertakings, and I am confident that 2026 is going to be our best year yet here in Sea Isle City – and for many good reasons…

For starters, you probably noticed that we have a new look for our E-Newsletters – but you don’t have to worry, because our bi-weekly mailings will continue to offer the timely content and useful information you expect (and many folks rely on).

2026 is also the year we will be opening our new Community Center, which will usher in a new era of recreation, entertainment, and civic options for Sea Isle City. As you no doubt are aware, work is wrapping up on the Community Center, and we anticipate announcing the date of our grand opening very soon. Until then, please keep reading our “Project Updates” so you can stay aware of the construction process as it nears completion – and get ready for what I am calling “44,000 square feet of fun” when the Community Center opens in the very near future!

2026 is also when our nation will be celebrating its 250th birthday (or its “semi- quincentennial” if you enjoy tongue-twisters), and Sea Isle City will be the perfect place to say “Happy Birthday America” when July Fourth rolls around. We are planning some special touches to make our country’s 250th birthday extra-memorable – so be sure to spend as much time in Sea Isle City as you can this summer!

And speaking of spending time here this summer… One of the many attractions people look forward to each year when the weather warms-up is our Saturday Night Concerts at the Excursion Park Band Shell, where in recent years the city’s Department of Community Services has offered an amazing line-up of tribute bands and special “music theme nights” that have been highlighted by very talented singers and musicians. Even though we are looking forward to a variety of “new things” in 2026, we will keep the format of our weekly concert series the same – albeit add a couple new groups to the mix. That being said, it is my pleasure to announce this year’s summer concert lineup…

• Frontiers / Journey Tribute (June 27)

• Yacht Rock Gold (July 4)

• Streetlight Serenade / Billy Joel Tribute (July 11)

• Great American Soul Book / Motown & R&B Tribute (July 18)

• Earth Wind and Fire Tribute (July 25)

• Minute by Minute / Michael McDonald Tribute (August 1)

• Queen of Rock / Tina Turner Tribute (August 8)

• Countdown to Ecstasy / Steely Dan Tribute (August 15)

• Yellow Brick Road / Elton John Tribute (August 22)

• Ronstadt Revue / Linda Ronstadt Tribute (August 29)

• Fearless / Taylor Swift Tribute (September 5)

Before closing, I want to thank everyone for their patience while navigating through town as road work and street closures have been taking place recently. This is the time of year when we make improvements to our infrastructure – and I appreciate everyone’s patience as we continually make Sea Isle City better and better!

Smile…You’re in Sea Isle!

Mayor Leonard C. Desiderio