By Maddy Vitale
Ocean City’s Fall Block Party on Saturday should have made it clear to visitors and residents – this is no seasonal town. Festivities, shows and shopping galore are featured year-round.
On Saturday, Asbury Avenue bulged from 5th to 14th Street with an estimated 40,000 people. Some families said the block party is a tradition they never miss. Others said they just learned about it and wanted to get a jumpstart on holiday shopping. The day was capped off by fireworks over the Music Pier.
Many people browsed the 400 vendors that lined the street, with no goal in mind except maybe to enjoy a gyro or funnel cake. Solo musicians played on the different blocks. Some strollers even caught a lively performance on the steps of City Hall by the Ocean City Theatre Company of their show “Xanadu,” which is playing over the weekend at the Music Pier.
Ocean City Regional Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Michele Gillian said the Fall Block Party is one of Ocean City’s biggest events and really showcases what the city has to offer.
“This event is a major economic stimulus for small businesses. It welcomes visitors, second-homeowners, and locals, to celebrate fall in Ocean City,” Gillian noted.
She added, “Events like the block party are vital to the bottom line of the success of our tourism season. We are so lucky that the Fall Block Party is always on this wonderful three-day holiday.”
Sharon Hall, of Rockville, Md., and her family call the block party a family tradition. Eight of them hopped in a car and drove up for the event.
“We do this every year because there are so many vendors,” Hall said. “There is just a lot to do and see.”
While she didn’t bring along her five dogs, she wanted to bring them back special treats. She stopped at a vendor that sold homemade dog goodies and bought one for each of her pooches. The large treats resembled hoagies and they were filled with beef and cheese.
“They go nuts for these,” Hall said, while holding up one of the mammoth dog snacks.
Like Hall, Maribeth Bandzi, her daughter Madison, 6, and her mother, Mary Ellen Heckendorn, all of Lancaster, Pa., make the block party a yearly excursion.
“It is our girls weekend. The men stay home. We have been coming since Madison was just three months old,” Bandzi said as she put her arm around her daughter.
The trio stopped by a vendor who was selling gourmet seasonings. They stocked up on packets for all sorts of dips.
“My husband loves this one,” Bandzi said of a seasoning packet that is added to olive oil to make a bread dip. “I buy crusty bread and he dips it. It’s his favorite.”
Madison wasn’t as interested in the seasoning packets. She was more excited about getting her face painted. “She’s a mermaid for the day,” Bandzi said with a laugh of her daughter’s freshly painted face.
Maryanne Gallagher, of Alloway, said she always finds the best lawn ornaments at the Fall Block Party.
“I have four acres, so I really like to buy metal spinners,” Gallagher said of the decorations. “I also bought a sweatshirt from the Humane Society of Ocean City today.”
She was far from done, she noted, as she paused to check out some glittery bracelets.
While shoppers seemed pleased with their purchases, the vendors were also satisfied.
Michelle and Tom Konopka, owners of the Hidden Barn Group, are part of the show every year. The couple, who have a year-round booth in Stainton’s in Ocean City, said this year’s block party one of their busiest in years.
They sell candles and potpourri, but a recent addition to their stock of animal masks was a huge hit.
They sold five dog masks Saturday.
“We got these for Eagles fans. People are buying them up,” Michelle Konopka said.
Gray skies and some sprinkles may have helped keep crowds on Asbury Avenue, instead of seeing them go to the beach, Tom Konopka said.
“I think it helped with foot traffic,” he said.
Michelle Konopka added, “I’ve never seen a crowd this big.”
Ocean City Public Information Officer Doug Bergen said of the Fall and Spring Block Parties in the city, “They are the premier events for Ocean City’s shoulder seasons and an important part of the city’s year-round economy.”
He noted about the atmosphere, “It’s always great to see tens of thousands of people strolling the Avenue, shopping the downtown stores and vendor tables, meeting old friends and enjoying the fall weather.”
For more information about Ocean City and its events visit www.ocnj.us
