(CAPE MAY, NJ) -- Cape Resorts and singer-songwriter conference founder John Harris have announced that the Cape May Singer-Songwriter Conference & Showcase will conclude its historic run. The annual March weekend event, which transformed the quiet winter streets of Cape May into a vibrant, walkable, town-wide concert hall, will not return for 2027. The decision marks the grand finale of a successful 14-year run that originally began in 2008.
The conclusion of the beloved conference follows the retirement of Patrick Logue, Vice President of Operations for Cape Resorts, who recently capped an extraordinary 35-year career with the company. Logue and Harris first co-created the event after Logue visited Harris's Millennium Music Conference in Harrisburg, PA, in 2007. Inspired by the sight of a town completely sold out and alive with music during the dead of winter, Logue realized the same magic could elevate Cape May's off-season economy.
Launched in 2008, the conference ran annually through 2019, paused during the pandemic, and made a triumphant return to critical acclaim in 2025 and 2026. Over nearly a decade and a half, the event perfectly embodied the philosophy that "a rising tide lifts all boats." What began as a strategic effort to boost hotel occupancy during a historically difficult month grew into a cultural powerhouse. The conference drew thousands of emerging musicians, touring crews, and over 50 top-tier industry professionals to daytime panels and workshops at Congress Hall's Grand Ballroom and the Harrison Conference Center. By night, the energy spilled across 15 downtown bars and clubs, packed with crowds enjoying free public showcases.
As the event steps off the stage, organizers are expressing deep, heartfelt gratitude to the entire community that made it possible. Cape Resorts and John Harris extend their warmest thanks to the hundreds of talented entertainers and singer-songwriters who shared their craft, the dedicated event sponsors, the local venue owners, and the City of Cape May for its unwavering support in establishing the town as a premier creative destination.
"For fourteen years, Singer-Songwriter Cape May was possible because of John Harris's unwavering commitment to discovering talent and bringing exceptional singer-songwriters and panelists to Cape May," said Patrick Logue, retired VP of Operations for Cape Resorts. "His ability to attract, book, and champion emerging artists shaped the very soul of this annual weekend. I am deeply grateful for his vision, his friendship, and the countless hours he devoted to making SSCM something truly special for Cape Resorts and Cape May."
Reflecting on the journey, co-founder Harris noted the bittersweet nature of the event's conclusion.
"Creating this event alongside Patrick, and our invaluable Board Members, Maureen Harris and Carl Behrens, was a highlight of my career and seeing how the community embraced it year after year was truly moving. The landscape has shifted—local venues have successfully built up their own incredible programming, and the off-season here is thriving, which is exactly what we hoped to achieve. While it has become unsustainable to host emerging artists at the scale we once did, we are leaving on a high note, deeply proud of the careers we helped launch and the beautiful music that filled this historic town."
The legacy of the conference leaves Cape May permanently changed for the better. Off-season hotel occupancies thrive, local businesses enjoy sustained winter vitality, and the town has cemented its identity as a year-round haven for arts and culture.
Cape Resorts is a leading regional hospitality investment and management company with eight distinctive classic American resort properties in New York and New Jersey.
Widely known for its expertise in adaptive reuse and historic preservation of resort and hospitality properties, Cape Resorts manages multiple hotel and rental properties including America's oldest seaside resort, Congress Hall; the impeccably-restored 1879 boutique Virginia Hotel and five elegantly-furnished historic Virginia Cottages; the laid-back ocean front Beach Shack; the classic seaside inn, The Star; the recently-renovated Congress Place Suites offering fully-equipped apartment-style accommodations; the fully equipped Sandpiper Beach Club condominiums; and five charming Beach Plum Farm Cottages on Cape Resorts' very own 62-acre working farm in Cape May, NJ from which it sources fresh, local, sustainably-grown fruits, produce, poultry and meats for its restaurants. Cape Resorts also owns and operates the waterfront Pridwin Hotel & Cottages, Shelter Island, NY. Cape Resorts continues to win accolades and awards for its properties' delivery of classic seaside hospitality.
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