The Coaster

By JOANNE L. PAPAIANNI
Organizers of Sunday’s Guinness Oysterfest in Asbury Park had the kind of problem all businesses wish they had – too many customers.

Ruthanne Harrison, city resident and event producer, said organizers expected 8,000 to attend but close to 15,000 showed up.

“That’s a great problem to have, isn’t it?” she said. “I’m walking on air.”

The extraordinarily large crowds caused a run on oysters, forcing the only oyster vendor at the event to send out for more half way through the event. He still ran out by 4 p.m.

Other attendees said they waited in line for food only to be told restaurants had run out.

But aside from that one problem Harrison called the event seamless.

“At one point I got up on the stage and looked down the street and all I could see was a sea of people, if we had less than 15,000 I would be shocked – I couldn’t see where the people ended.”

The Irish rock band Black 47 performed later in the afternoon, drawing huge crowds at the stage set up at Grand Avenue.

The only other glitch was the last minute cancellation of the popular band DeSol.

But Harrison was able to get Funktion 11 to step in at the last minute.

“They are a 12-piece band and in 24 hours they were able to pull it together, they really rocked the crowd,” she said.

Harrison said this was the biggest event in Asbury Park’s recent history and said it was a collaborative effort by sponsors and community groups.

“We couldn’t have done this without our wonderful sponsors,” she said.

Harrison also said a special subcommittee from the Chamber of Commerce added to the success of the festival.

Michael Heath of Atlantis Mortgage, manned one of the ticket booths for the chamber and said he was busy all day.

“To me it was as if there were no recession,” he said. “People were throwing money at us.”

Heath also said from where he was seated it seemed that people were having a good time.

“And they got to see Black 47 which was unbelievable,” he added.

Heath said people were trying to buy tickets up until 10 minutes before closing.

“It was as if there was no tomorrow and all they wanted to do was get rid of their money,” he said.

The lone oyster vendor went through 10,000 oysters, Harrison said.

“He had 7,000, but when he ran out he went and got more,” she said.

Harrison also said the crowds consumed 102 kegs of beer. There were 18 restaurants selling food and 23 sponsors for the event.

Harrison also said the children’s shows were a big hit.

“There were more kids than I had expected. Maybe we’ll have more for the kids next year,” she said.

Attorney Ron Troppoli of Neptune attended the event with his wife Donna and said, “What impressed us was the throng of people and the mixture of people, young, old, babies…all the many new faces enjoying the Asbury Park experience.

Mike Harrison, owner of The Harrison, called it an “amazing day.”

“It was fabulous, this was more than anybody could have imagined,” Harrison said of the huge crowds.

His restaurant was offering crab and shrimp cakes and he said they ran out about an hour before closing time.

“”Everything we had in the place, we used,” he said.“My bar inside was packed all day long,” he added.

Businesses on Cookman Avenue lent a hand with the Passion Group providing a place for children’s performers to change costumes and downtown property owner Pat Fasano offering a VIP room for event workers to cool off.

Eileen Chapman, who now runs the arts program at Monmouth University, helped with the musical performances.

“The retailers were so pleased,” Harrison said. “They had the best day.”

Harrison said organizers limited the number of outside vendors at the event to give Asbury Park retailers the opportunity to sell their wares.

“We wanted people to shop at our vendors,” she said.

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