USMC Toys For Tots
2024-12-01 - 2024-12-14
Brighten a Child’s Holiday – No Matter Where You Are!
Friends of Ortley Beach is hosting a local Toys for Tots drive supporting American Legion Post 351. If you want to brighten the season for families in need, here’s how you can help-
Deliver a Toy:
Dakan Homes, 415 Hiering Ave., Seaside Heights, NJ 08751.
Ship a Toy:
Purchase a toy from your favorite retailer or via Amazon and ship directly to:
Dakan Homes, 415 Hiering Ave., Seaside Heights, NJ 08751.
Please make sure your toy arrives by 12.15.
Thanks for making the holiday brighter for those in need. Your generosity means so much. Happy Holidays!
This event has passed. Click here to view USMC Toys For Tots Highlights for more information about the event.

Kite Nite - June 12th
2025-06-12 17:00 - 20:00 UTC | Third Avenue Beach
Mark Your Calendar!
It’s all happening on June 12 and August 14 on the Third Avenue Beach from 5 pm to 8 pm. Grab a kite, bring a chair, and prepare to be wowed as the beach becomes a playground in a sky filled withe color, movement, magic and imagination.

Beach Bash '25
2025-07-12 17:30 - 20:00 | Third Avenue Beach
Mark Your Calendar!
It’s Friends of Ortley Beach’s signature event, and it’s bringing the fun in a big way! Get ready for an unforgettable evening packed with live music, games, food, and all-around good vibes.
• Food trucks serving up your favorites – Grab something for dinner from the Ohana Grill and Shore Good Eats food trucks, and cool off with a frozen treat from Hoffman’s Ice Cream!
• Live music to keep the good vibes going – Mike, a regular at Crabs Claw, will rock the mic and keep the energy level high as our musician and MC.
• Games & activities for all ages – Whether you’re conquering the giant inflatable bounce house, dominating the hula hoop contest, or pulling strong in tug-of-war, there’s something for everyone.
• A special visit from the Ocean Beach Firehouse – Stop by to check out the firetruck and meet our local heroes! Food is available for purchase… all other fun is completely free!
Bring your beach chairs, blankets, and besties, and let’s make Beach Bash ‘25 an evening to remember.

FOB Annual Craft Fair
2025-08-02 10:00 - 15:00 | St. Elisabeth’s Chapel, 5 Third Avenue,, Ortley Beach, NJ, 08751, United States
Mark Your Calendar:-
FOB Annual Craft Fair
Our annual craft fair will be held on Saturday, August 2nd, 2025, from 10 am — 3 pm with a rain date of Saturday, August 9th.
Once again, we will be outside on St. Elisabeth’s Chapel grounds, 5 Third Avenue, Ortley Beach.
Make plans now for our incredible craft fair and marvel at the handmade wonders!

August 21 Kite Nite Cancelled
2025-08-21 17:00 - 20:00 | Third Avenue Beach
Update Your Calendar!
Note: The 8/14/25 Kite Nite that was rescheduled for Thursday August 21, 2025 but has now been cancelled due to a high wind alert.
Mother Nature is keeping us on our toes! Last week, the air was too still for our big kites to soar. This week, the wind is too wild for them to fly safely.
Unfortunately, okite company has no availability next week, so Kite Nite at Ortley Beach has officially been grounded for the season.
Our neighbors in Seaside Heights are hosting Kites in the Heights on Tuesday, August 26, from 4 – 8 pm at the Carteret Avenue Beach.
It’s free and one last chance to see some spectacular kites in the sky!

Landscaping for Winter
2025-10-15 19:00 | St. Elisabeth’s Chapel, 5 Third Avenue,, Ortley Beach, NJ, 08751, United States
Join us for, “Landscaping for Winter Interest,” our first presentation of the Friends of Ortley Beach 2025 Speaker Program led by a Rutgers Master Gardener.
This free presentation will provide information regarding flowers and shrubs that have winter appeal. Plants that have changing leaf color, changing stem color, long bloom periods, attraction to birds that can brighten up your garden will be discussed. Winter gardens do not have to be boring and dreary!
A Q&A session will follow the presentation—so bring your questions and get expert advice!

Ciba-Geigy Court Case
2025-11-11 19:00 | St. Elisabeth’s Chapel, 5 Third Avenue,, Ortley Beach, NJ, 08751, United States
Friends of Ortley Beach will continue its Beyond the Beach Speaker Series with a presentation by Save Barnegat Bay, the nonprofit dedicated to protecting and preserving Barnegat Bay and its watershed. The presentation will include a Greenpeace video from the 1980s that shows how Ciba-Geigy’s toxins affected Ortley Beach.
For more than five decades, Save Barnegat Bay has been a leading voice for the bay’s health—promoting education, community engagement, and legislative action. The group is now challenging what it calls the biggest threat the bay and nearby communities have ever faced: the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s settlement with BASF regarding the Ciba-Geigy Superfund Site in Toms River.
Over the last three years, SBB has worked to highlight this deal’s inadequacies, dangerous precedents, and the injustice it has inflicted on the communities of Ocean County,” said Brittany McLaughlin, Executive Assistant and Community Engagement Coordinator at Save Barnegat Bay.
The program is free and open to the public, but those interested in attending are kindly asked to RSVP to SecretaryFOB2@gmail.com.

Ortley Beach Shell Tree Event
2025-11-30 12:00 | Lord House Lifeguard Station, 1 4th Ave, Ortley Beach, NJ, 08751, United States
Once again this year, the OBVTA is bringing holiday cheer to Ortley Beach. The tree will be set up behind the Lord House Lifeguard Station on Sunday, November 30 at noon and you’re welcome to bring your own decorated shell to add to the display.
We’ll have boxes of pre-drilled blank shells, markers, and zip ties on hand for anyone who wants to create their design during the event. And there will be hot chocolate to add to the warmth of the event.
The shell-decorating supplies will remain on site for you to decorate and hang a shell at your convenience. And if you have shells you’d like to contribute, drop them off anytime at the O’Shea Group – Keller Williams at 1955 Route 35N in Ortley Beach.
Come kick off the holidays, beach-style and help make this year’s tree the most colorful yet. Many thanks to the OBVTA for continuing this holiday tradition.

Beach Bash '26
2026-07-18 17:30 - 20:00 | Third Avenue Beach
Beach Bash ’26 Is Coming July 18 — and It’s Going to Be Big!
Mark your calendars and get ready for one of Ortley Beach’s favorite summer traditions: Beach Bash ’26!
We’re lining up a night filled with food, fun and Ortley Beach-town energy — with Boho Bites and Shore Good Eats serving up food-truck favorites, plus sweet treats from Hoffman’s Ice Cream.
Adding to the fun, Mike, a regular entertainer from The Crab’s Claw, will keep the party going with music, entertainment, and MC duties throughout the event.
As for the kids, there will be plenty to keep the fun going, including a large inflatable bounce house, face painting, games, and activities.
So gather your friends, text your neighbors, pack your beach chairs and blankets, and join us for a summer evening that’s all about food, fun, and community.
More details to come!
Click here for a quick look back on last year’s event.
