  
Sunny and cool temperatures are forecast for Sunday’s festival, held in Red Bank’s White Street parking lot. This year’s version will highlight the roster of Heineken-owned beers. (Photos by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge)
It’s being touted as the fifth annual edition — and if you don’t happen to have any memory of the previous four (possibly due to eat, drink and general merriment), it could be because what was once the “Red Bank International Flavour Festival” has returned, rebranded and bigger than ever, as the Red Bank International Beer, Wine and Food Fest.
One of the more popular and successful seasonal attractions to pitch its tent in Red Bank within recent years, the family-friendly happening from promoter RUE Events commandeers the White Street municipal parking lot this Sunday for an afternoon-and-evening that mixes many of the best-liked attributes of the old-time Red Bank Food Festivals and the latter-day Oysterfests.
Festival faves the Nerds, above, are back. Below, nthony “Remember Jones” D’Amato brings his celebrated tribute to the music of Joe Cocker out in the noonday sun. (Photo above by John T. Ward; below by FotoCavallo)
Presenting its whirlwind world tour between noon and 7 p.m., the Fest teams the culinary kung fu of some 20 Red Bank restaurants and food purveyors — take it here for a roster of participating eateries — with a strolling smorgasbord of vendors that include an “international” selection of beers and wines for purchase by of-age attendees.
Adding sonic spice to the affair is the enhanced menu of music and dance acts on two stages; a global shuffle-mix that spans reggae (Jamian’s mainstays Random Test), Scottish marches (Atlantic Watch Pipes and Drums), Irish tunes (Daddy O’Pocketful), oompah music (Edelweiss), and icy-cool Scandinavian pop (the ABBA tribute Dancing Dream).
Also featured are Jersey partyband perennials the Nerds, the Sinatra stylings of the Jazz Lobsters Big Band, and an encore appearance by the Weeklings, the popular project co-fronted by music-biz masters and sought after songwriter/ session cats Glen Burtnik (Beatlemania, Styx) and Bob Burger.
Red Bank festival crowds will also get their first look — and in broad daylight, no less — at Remember Jones, the soulband-fronting alias of singer-actor-impresario Anthony D’Amato, performing his spot-on salute to the music of the late Joe Cocker. It’s a set that the sensational vocalist has delivered (along with a similarly savvy tribute to Amy Winehouse) at area venues like Asbury Park’s House of Independents, Deal’s Axelrod PAC, and Lakewood’s Strand Theater, where (as Producing Artistic Director) he presented a wildly audacious live version of R. Kelly’s TRAPPED IN THE CLOSET, backed by a 20 piece orchestra. Remember and Company take the event’s West Stage between 2 and 3:30 p.m.; take it here for a complete schedule of live music acts, with band bios and pertinent web links.
Admission to the festival area is just a $5 donation (with kids ages 10 and under getting in free), and there’s a rain date of Sunday, May 1). For additional info, visit the event website or email [email protected].
Proceeds from the event are dedicated to the ongoing operations and programs of Red Bank RiverCenter, as well as a playground-building project of the Red Bank Borough Education Foundation.
