This year, the daffodils, tulips, and crocus apparently couldn’t wait for spring and began emerging in mid-February. Those flowers’ impatience for things to begin blooming and booming is mirrored by the businesses and residents of New Jersey’s Southern Shore Region.

While the sunny, mild weather one typically pictures when thinking about taking a trip to the Southern Shore Region is still in the offing, April – and the Easter holiday in particular – is when the area begins waking from its wintertime slumber.

Little by little, the attractions that were shuttered from November through March begin opening their doors, and the restaurants, taverns, and stores that remained open step up their games as the region comes back to life.

In Ocean City, Gillian’s Wonderland Pier will be open for the Easter weekend, and you can be sure many of the famous Boardwalk’s eateries, shops, and other businesses will be open to accommodate visitors. To the south, the Wildwoods Boardwalk will have shops, eateries and arcades open, but both Morey’s amusement piers won’t be operational until later in the season.

Expect to see “OPEN” signs in other popular shopping areas, such as the downtown areas in Millville, Bridgeton, as well as Cape May County’s mainland towns and promenades.

In preparation for the Easter holiday, many traditional activities will be held a week prior. For instance, in Vineland, the Easter Egg Hunt and children’s costume parade will be held April 1 at Giampietro Park, and in Millville, the annual Easter Egg hunt is April 1 at 11 a.m.. The Cape May County Zoo’s Easter EGGstravaganZOO will also be held April 1, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the zoo in Cape May Court House. Stone Harbor’s Volunteer Fire Company will host an egg hunt on April 1 as well, at 1 p.m. at the firehouse.

In Cape May, the annual Easter egg hunt will be held Saturday, April 8, at 10 at Convention Hall on Beach Drive, and a Fashion Stroll will be held at Rotary Park on Easter Sunday, April 9, at 1 p.m. There will be an Easter egg hunt in North Wildwood at Allen Park on April 8 from 9 a.m. to noon.

Visitors and homeowners who take the trip to the Southern Shore Region over the Easter weekend will find most of their favorite restaurants open, and many venues feature family brunch specials and Easter dinner.

While the beaches and waterways in the region are always open, the beaches will be unprotected until Memorial Day, primarily because the ocean temperature is 50 degrees or cooler. But that doesn’t mean outdoor activities are restricted. The area’s bicycle paths, tennis and pickleball courts, wildlife management areas, and beaches are available for outdoor activities.

Because Easter 2023 occurs about three weeks after the official start of spring, many of those visiting New Jersey’s Southern Shore Region will be eager to get their gardens and yards ready for the coming season. You can bet that all of the area’s nurseries and home stores will be stocked and ready to assist as the region dusts off its wintry shawl and prepares for the beautiful bloom of summer.

Easter in the Southern Shore Region is a time when smiles abound, and optimism is evident because it signals the re-awakening of the time we all love. Easter truly is the harbinger of the tourism season in New Jersey’s Southern Shore.