With drive-in events given the okay, Asbury Park mainstays Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes will headline one of New Jersey’s first drive-in concerts on July 11 at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, with a portion of the proceeds donated to the New Jersey Pandemic Relief Fund.
Tickets will be $150 per vehicle, with a maximum of four occupants, and will be available starting Friday via Ticketmaster.
Vehicles will be spaced 9 feet apart to allow for windows to be open. Parking will be staggered for visibility, and non-common measures like social distancing and mask requirements when out of the car to use the bathroom will be in place.
The event will be presented by Count Basie Center for the Arts, based in Red Bank.
“I commend the Count Basie Center for the Arts for finding a way to bring live entertainment to Monmouth County in a fun and safe way,” said Monmouth County Freeholder Director Thomas Arnone. “These drive-in shows are a great way to get out of the house and experience a live show, while still practicing social distancing.”
Bathrooms will be available and cleaned between each use. Only passenger vehicles are permitted, and the event will take place in Monmouth Park’s Grandstand General Parking Lot.
Alcohol will not be served – and tailgating or out-of-vehicle-gathering is strictly prohibited – but concession information is forthcoming.
Editor’s note: A previous version of this story identified the Count Basie event at Monmouth Park as the state’s first drive-in concert, however nonprofit organization The Clubhouse of Toms River held such an event on May 24, 2020; the story was updated at 1:36 p.m. EST on June 1, 2020.
