See the new Jersey Shore & sample some beer

A beer festival this Saturday that's worth your while.

The Jersey Shore Beer Fest from 2 to 6 p.m. at The Headliner in Neptune  is a fundraiser for the Richard S. Bascom Scholarship Fund, a nonprofit that The Headliner, a longtime fixture on the bar scene of Monmouth County, has supported over the years with wine tastings.

And now a beer event.

But there's another message to take away from the festival: The storm-ravaged shore is back. Yes, Superstorm Sandy did a number on the coastline, but there's been a great turnaround since those dark days at the end of October 2012. 

Believe it. Visit it. See it for yourself.

“We are very excited to be back at the shore just in time for a little warmup party for summer, and it looks like we will have the right weather for it," says Chris DePeppe, of TotalBru, the event promoter, and a Jersey Shore native (neighboring Wall Township) "The Jersey Shore has bounced back faster than anyone could have expected, and I think there is just a tremendous feeling of anticipation from Cape May to the Highlands. I know the locals are more than ready to get the season off to a good start. What better way than with a craft beer festival right outside in the sunshine right next to the Shark River Inlet?”

Count The Headliner among those shore landmarks in the rebound column. The Headliner has undergone extensive repairs and renovations since the storm: The interior has new bars, new flooring, and a new kitchen. The outdoor bars and beach volleyball courts will be opening just in time for the beer festival. 

Beers on the festival lineup include: Home-state favorites Flying Fish, Carton, Cricket Hill, Tuckahoe and Beach Haus; regional names like Brooklyn, Blue Point, and Yards; plus the always-reliable Stone, Smuttynose and Ommegang.

There will also be a specialty beer bar, featuring fruit beers and wheat beers and an IPA Happy Hour Bar.

You can get tickets and some more details through the festival website. Use the discount code of JSBF to ensure you get the $45 ticket price.