Weekend Happenings: Cold Beer, a Good Movie & a Little Whoopi

The 12th annual Garden State Film Festival moves to Atlantic City this weekend after 11 years in Asbury Park.

The festival, founded in 2003, runs this Friday through Sunday in various locales in Atlantic City, with support from the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority.

In addition to 184 film screenings from 16 countries, there will be a gala cocktail party, panel discussions, book signings, Q & A sessions, educational programs, an open casting call, and a black tie awards ceremony.

Celebrities and honorees scheduled to attend are Ed Asner, Dara Brown, Laura Dern, Lieutenant Governor Kimberly Guadagno, Diane Ladd, Scott Neustadter, Bebe Neuwirth, Paul Castro Jr., Franklin Ojeda Smith and many others, with Atlantic City Mayor Don Guardian serving as Honorary Chair.

Plan on taking in one movie or more this weekend and welcome the Garden State Film Festival to Atlantic City!

Here's a look at what else is going on this weekend.

Atlantic City...

- Convention Center: 9th annual Atlantic City Beer and Music Festival, Fri-Sat. 4/4-4/5

- Borgata: Yes, Fri. 4/4

- House of Blues at Showboat: Gavin DeGraw, Fri. 4/4

- Revel: Whoopi Goldberg, Sat. 4/5

- Borgata: Jerry Seinfeld, Sat. 4/5

- Harrah's: Gretchen Wilson, Sat. 4/5

- Taj Mahal: Englebert Humperdinck, Sat. 4/5

- House of Blues at Showboat: Buckcherry, Sat. 4/5

Other fun stuff...

Ocean City: Spring Festival of Fine Arts & Crafts, Fri-sat/4/4-4/5, Ocean City Music Pier

- Cape May Court House: "Wild Walk For Kids" at the Cape May County Park & Zoo, benefiting Big Brothers & Big Sisters of Cape/ Atlantic, Sat. 4/5

- Wildwood: "Feis at the Beach", Irish dance competition, Convention Center, Sat. 4/5

- Galloway: Botanical Printmaking Demonstration, Noyes Museum, Sun. 4/6

- Erma: Lower Township Easter Egg Hunt, Free Douglass Memorial Park, Sat.4/5@ 10am 609-886-7880 #0

- Hammonton: Paint Hammonton 7th annual Plein-Air Event, Sat. 4/5

- Mays Landing: New Orleans Jazz Brunch (benefits Our Lady Star of the Sea School), Atlantic Cape Comm. College, Sun. 4/6 @ 11:30am, 609-348-1345