The summer season at the Jersey Shore is over, but the good news is the Garden State's “shoulder season,” which runs into November, is just getting started.

Boardwalk in Atlantic City
Boardwalk in Atlantic City (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
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“It’s actually a perfect time to come down the shore, the water is still warm, it’s peaceful, it’s not as congested as we saw on Labor Day weekend,” says New Jersey Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno.

She said with gas prices so low “and the weather as nice as it, is people should consider going down to the Jersey shore and see a different type of Jersey Shore.”

Shoulder season at the Jersey Shore traditionally bridges the gap between Labor Day and the fall when the weather is mild, but most of the crowds are usually gone.

According to Guadagno, New Jersey tourism officials are working very hard to promote all kinds of activities and festivals this time of year, “including Food TruckOctoberfest in Oceanport and the Festival of the Sea in Point Pleasant Beach tomorrow; the Cape May Wine Festival if you want to go down to the beautiful beaches of Cape May in October.”

Guadagno said the best way to find out what’s going on down the shore during Shoulder Season is to go to visitNJ.org.

“There’s a lot of opportunities there, discounts on hotel rooms, discounts on restaurants, discounts on activities, and sometimes discounts on entire packages," she said. "It’s a great opportunity to take advantage of the Jersey Shore.”

Guadagno said tourism is one of New Jersey’s more important industries, generating more than $40 billion annually and directly employing more than 300,000 people. Shoulder season, she said, is an important part of the mix.

“I think sometimes there’s more festivals and things to do at the Jersey Shore in the shoulder season than there is in the summertime,” she says.

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