James E. McGreevey
Governor

William D. Watley
Secretary of Commerce

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Karen Wolfe - 609.292.2523

CAPE MAY SUMMONS SLEUTHS
AND SHERLOCK HOLMES AFICIONADOS

Trenton, N.J. (February 24, 2004)—Take a trip back in time to 1901 Cape May, America’s first seaside resort. Bring your Victorian finery and prepare to sleuth out a mystery so baffling, it will take Sherlock Homes to solve it. He’ll be arriving Friday evening, March 5th, 2004 during the gala kick-off of Cape May’s 14th semi-annual Sherlock Holmes Weekend in the Marquis de Lafayette Hotel.

During the gala, with public invited and encouraged to don Victorian attire, a note will arrive describing a heinous act and providing the first clues to the whodunit. Follow the hints on a self-guided tour and maybe solve the mystery, along with Holmes and his sidekick, Mr. Watson.

Participants will be given maps and 1901 newspapers with clues imbedded in various articles, to be uncovered in six Cape May Victorian houses. The afternoon will culminate in Holmes’ study (in the Cape Island Baptist Church) where participants will get to compare their findings. On Sunday, at 12:30 pm, Holmes, Watson and the full cast of mystery characters will join participants to reveal the solution during brunch in the Marquis de Lafayette Hotel. Prizes will be awarded to those who have solved the suspense thriller.

“Sherlock Holmes Weekend is a wonderful way to explore Cape May during the winter months," says Nancy Byrne, executive director, New Jersey Office of Travel & Tourism. "Participants who are interested in both Victoriana and detective stories will enjoy solving this mystery."

Two-night Holmes packages for Friday March 5 and Saturday March 6 include bed and breakfast or hotel accommodations, daily breakfasts, $75 dinner coupons and all weekend activities. A Saturday only ticket is also available.

The mystery sleuthing is presented twice each year, in March and November, by the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts, Cape May’s non-profit organization that promotes the restoration, interpretation and cultural enrichment of greater Cape May. Each year’s program is built around the period when Cape May gained recognition as a pre-eminent seashore resort, between the late 1800s and early 1900s.

For further information and reservations, call 800-275-4278 x185, or visit the website, www.capemaymac.org

For information and a 2004 New Jersey Travel Guide, contact the New Jersey Office of Travel & Tourism, at 800-VISITNJ (847-4865); or check the website at www.visitnj.org.