By Robin Barone and Kim Yacoubian
Sitting just north of the Seventh Avenue Beach in Asbury Park, N. J., a small group of New York-based Armenians began plotting the return of an Armenian kef scene in July 2011. The lead organizer, Robin Barone, spent every summer visiting her aunt and uncle in Asbury Park, where the couple vacationed from the 1960’s to the present day.
It has been nearly 40 years since Armenians held an event in Asbury Park. In the 1950’s and 60’s, Asbury Park was the place to come together on summer weekends. Days were spent on the beach and in the water, and at night everyone would gather at places called the Hye Hotel, the Van Hotel, the Sunset Lounge, and the Hye-Da-Way kef room.
Barone initially set out to organize a simple beach party of 50 people around Memorial Day Weekend. She intended to invite friends between New York City and Philadelphia–Armenians living off the New Jersey turnpike. However, the immediate response she received was overwhelming; she started to receive e-mails and phone calls that all contained the same message—“I was thinking about trying something like this” or “I was wishing that someone would start something like this.”
It was then that she decided to reach out to all the Armenian non-profit organizations and churches in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. Sister organizations of the Armenian Network and AGBU Young Professionals from Boston and Washington, D.C. reached out to her, too. Soon Barone began to connect with other friends whose parents and relatives had spent their summers in Asbury.
“Return to Asbury” Armenian Kef Weekend was recently scheduled for Aug. 10-12, 2012. In short order, an eager and active committee was in place, the hotel was booked, two bands committed to perform, a website was opened, and ticket sales came rolling in.
The location of the main event on Sat., August 11 is the Berkeley Hotel, where many Armenian Student Association (ASA) dances were held in the past. The weekend is complemented and supported by the recent rebirth of Asbury Park’s waterfront itself. With a package as well as à la carte tickets available, Armenian families can pick and choose to participate in all the activities offered that weekend or, for instance, meet at the Seventh Avenue Beach in Asbury Park on Aug. 11 and join the Tavloo Tournament run by the Philadelphia Chapter of the Knights of Vartan.
With “Return to Asbury,” this group of enthusiastic organizers hopes to provide a forum for young Armenian musicians as well as an opportunity for Armenians to socialize in a casual and summer setting at the beach. Currently, the two bands scheduled, the Artsakh Band and the Michael Gostanian Ensemble, comprise an exceptional roster of young Armenian musicians from New York to Philadelphia.
Last week, the event received its first major sponsorship donation from the Fereshtian family of Philadelphia. The couple, Harry and Seran, met at the Seventh Avenue Beach in Asbury Park around 1950. Harry was a member of the ASA and an active organizer of events at their chance encounter. They were excited to see a forum for Armenian music re-established.
Additionally the event is a fundraiser for the following Armenian summer camps: AGBU Camp Nubar, Saint Vartan, and Camp Haiastan. Barone, an alumni of Camp Nubar and Saint Vartan, explains, “I met some of my closest Armenian friends at camp during the summer. Those experiences were integral in making me proud of my heritage and establishing lifelong friendships.”
The event is coming together thanks to the sponsorship of the ASA, the initial organizers of kef events in Asbury Park. The event is supported by a consortium of Armenian non-profits that include the AGBU YPGNY, AGBU YP Philadelphia, AGBU YP Boston, Armenian Network New York, Armenian Network D.C., SOAR, Knights of Vartan Philadelphia, ACYOA Philadelphia, and the AYF. There is also an extensive committee of volunteers from Boston to Washington assisting in the planning and marketing of this epic event.
During the weekend, the committee hopes to interview people who remember the “glory” days of Asbury and create a short film to document the past. They are actively looking for Armenians to submit photographs and stories to returntoasbury@gmail.com.
To learn more, go to www.returntoasbury.eventbrite.com or www.facebook.com/returntoasbury.
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