Cape May is not deprived of culture in the winter

Burns suppers are one of the most culturally immersive events to experience in Cape May. When Jack Wright and I discussed the idea in 2004 (arguably), I knew Jack was a world-class Scotsman because he was already planning the event.

My first fuzzy remembrance of a Robert Burns Supper occurred in Exton, Pennsylvania, at the home of Ian and Pamela Coats, coincidentally from the same corner of Scotland as Jack. There were Haggis, poetry, singing, and single-malt Scotch (lots of Scotch, hence the fuzzy memory).

I was delighted to learn that Jack would make the Burns Supper a reality my first winter after moving to Cape May. I recall dialing my friend Ian, an ex-pat Scot, at the reading of Burns’ “Address to the Haggis” so that he could listen in.

Robert Burns is a highly regarded national poet of Scotland. Also known as Rabbie Burns, he was the eldest of seven children and self-educated. He was given irregular schooling, and a lot of his education was from his father, who taught his children reading, writing, arithmetic, geography, and history.

“Robert Burns influenced the likes of Michael Jackson and Bob Dylan with his poetry,” Jack, our host, said.

The events were so successful that the group outgrew its accommodations.

“The Filling Station is perfect for our salute to the poet and our more intimate Gourmet Scots Supper, but it’s not big enough to host the whole shebang.”

Always the purist, he explains the difference between a “Gourmet Scots Dinner” and a full-blown Robert Burns Supper. The former is more intimate, smaller, and with less fanfare. “We had grown so much that we needed either Convention Hall or the ferry terminal to pack everyone in.”

From its inception nearly twenty years ago, the first Burns Supper was held in a tightly packed Ugly Mug on the Washington Street Mall. Soon after, two separate but simultaneous events were held at the Mug and (then) Jackson Mountain Cafe. People began to crave the experience of a Burns Supper. Or did the wintertime crowd of residents just like seeing men in kilts?

After stopping at Carney’s on Beach Avenue, the Cape May Robert Burns Supper boldly moved to book Convention Hall. Possibly one of the largest Burns Suppers on the United States East Coast. ” I don’t know if we would still get 450 people to come to Convention Hall like we did in 2020, right before Covid hit,” Jack said.

The larger venue, Burns Suppers, hosted two bands, a small army of bagpipers, and occasionally highland dancers. Whether it was 3-400 or 450 people on a cold night in January, it was one of the more festive things you’d experience in Cape May.

Woven into the history of local Burns Suppers are some deep personal connections. Patricia Sain and her husband Clyde were at the Ugly Mug that first night. They were summertime regulars who ignored the cold and traveled from Northern New Jersey to experience the Scottish tradition. The Sains have been guests of the Victorian Motel over the years. We always sat together or near each other at the events after their three-hour drive from Hasbrouck Heights to Cape May.

While preparing for the 2020 Burns Supper, I realized I had misplaced or lost my kilt during a recent move and dreaded the thought of walking into the event without one (it’s breezy even with one). The problem was not advertised; the host was not texted with an excuse, and I just showed up. Patricia Sain also showed up.

Immediately, Patricia recognized I was not properly attired in a kilt as I had been for the previous 15 Burns Suppers. Tactfully, she made an excuse to return to her car “because she forgot something.” “Clyde would not be able to wear these anymore.” Mrs. Sain said, offering me three of her (late) husband’s Kilts. “Why don’t you go put one on?” she said.  I quickly headed to the men’s room, shocked at what had happened. All three kilts were my size.

“Burns was a brilliant writer who tackled big themes — love, nature, classism — in humorous, musical verse,” wrote Diane Stopyra in a piece for the University of Delaware. At this year’s Gourmet Scots Supper, all of the classical readings were presented.

“O my Love is like a red, red rose That’s newly sprung in June; O my Love is like the melody, sweetly played in tune,” read Dan Magariel, the new Art Director of the Cape May Point Science Center. This was Dan’s first Robert Burns-style event and a gourmet Scots Supper.

The Cape May Robert Burns Suppers continue to evolve and mature. Is it the camaraderie, the excellent food, the scotch, or the men in kilts? It is most likely a collaboration of all of the above.