Harry's Ocean Bar & Grille has opened its holiday pop-up bar, Jingle Bar, for the season at 1025 Beach Avenue in Cape May, bringing back the tented seasonal setup that drew long lines down Beach Avenue last year. This time around, organizers say they've expanded the schedule and the menu, adding new themed parties, longer hours and a fresh round of holiday cocktails to the mix.
According to New Jersey Stage, Jingle Bar has introduced a heated, Grinch-themed tent this season along with outdoor firepits scattered around the tent and at ground level. The outlet reports the pop-up drew crowds that spilled down Beach Avenue during its run last year, and that this year's version comes with an expanded cocktail menu, special events, themed décor and a New Year's Eve finale. Dan Alicea, president of Madison Resorts, told the outlet that he and Harry's are “bringing back their biggest Jingle Bar yet” with a goal of providing steady employment through the holiday season.
The bar's own website, harryscapemay.com, lists holiday cocktails for $11, beers for $5 and sangria for $8. One notable scheduling wrinkle: Harry's website states the pop-up runs from November 13, 2026 through January 1, 2027, while New Jersey Stage reports the season runs through December 31, 2026 — so holiday revelers may want to confirm dates directly with the venue before planning a visit.
A Packed Calendar of Themed Nights
Per New Jersey Stage, Jingle Bar's weekly hours are Thursdays from 2 to 9 p.m., Fridays from noon to 10 p.m., Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Sundays from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. The bar is also open Wednesday, November 25, from 2 to 9 p.m., and will be closed on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Live music is offered every weekend, the outlet notes.
The events lineup includes a Cape May Christmas Parade party on December 5, an Ugly Sweater Party and Breakfast with Santa both on December 12 — the breakfast running from 10 a.m. to noon — and Jingle Karaoke on December 18 from 6 to 10 p.m. December 19 brings both Brunch with the Grinch, from 9 to 11:30 a.m., and Grinch vs. Santa: The Holiday Showdown that evening from 6 to 10 p.m. The Holiday Hangover follows on December 26 from 6 to 10 p.m., featuring $11 holiday cocktails, festive bites and holiday music, the outlet reports. Brunch with the Grinch requires a reservation but no ticket, according to the same report.
On New Year's Eve, Jingle Bar is scheduled to run from 4 p.m. to 1 a.m. on Wednesday, December 31, according to Harry's website, which also advertises an open bar, DJ and passed appetizers for the night and notes that tickets are limited.
Breakfast With Santa and a Toys for Tots Push
Breakfast with Santa tickets, per Harry's website, include a breakfast buffet, a photo opportunity with Santa and a small gift for children, priced at $29.99 for adults and $19.99 for children before tax and gratuity; children under 3 can attend free with a selected free ticket, New Jersey Stage reports. Harry's Jingle Bar is also collecting new, unwrapped toys for local children through December 6, per the outlet's reporting, and from December 11 through 13, Madison Resorts says it will donate $1 per Jingle Bell Candy Cane Crush sold at Jingle Bar to Toys for Tots.
An Expanded Cocktail Menu
Jingle Bar's seasonal drink list includes the Mistletoe Margarita and Snowflake Eggnog, the latter made with peanut butter eggnog, a cinnamon sugar rim and coconut flakes, according to Harry's website. Other listed cocktails include the Gingerbread Old Fashioned, made with Bulleit bourbon, gingerbread syrup and orange peel; the Jingle Bell Candy Cane Crush, with peppermint vodka, cranberry juice, lemon-lime soda, club soda, edible glitter and a crushed-candy-cane rim; and the Mistletoe Sparkler, blending vodka, elderflower liqueur, cranberry juice, fresh lime juice and prosecco.
The menu also features the Jingle Berry Sangria with red wine, cranberry juice, orange liqueur, apple brandy, fruit and cinnamon; the Blue Christmas with Absolut vodka, coconut cream, pineapple juice and blue curaçao; and the Espresso Peppermint-tini, made with peppermint vodka, Baileys, Mozart chocolate liqueur and whipped cream. Rounding out the list are Santa's Naughty Tiramisu, the Clausmopolitan, the Jingle Grinch, Harry's Fireside Fig Old Fashioned and Jingle All the Mule, per the venue's website. Groups can order holiday cocktail trees offering six choices with a maximum of two cocktail selections per tree, priced at $60 for four servings, with add-on options for groups of six and eight.
Why Cape May Leans Into the Holidays
Doreen Talley, executive director of the Chamber of Commerce of Greater Cape May, New Jersey, told New Jersey Stage that Jingle Bar helps extend the town's tourist season and can generate economic impact comparable to Cape May's Fourth of July weekend. She also noted that Cape May has been named one of the 25 best Christmas towns in America by Travel + Leisure magazine, according to the outlet. A broader roundup of Jersey Shore holiday destinations from NJ Lifestyle Magazine lists curated holiday pop-up bars and festive stops stretching from Cape May to Atlantic City this season.
