Summer Kicks Into High Gear in Ocean City
Ocean City’s Independence Day celebration will take place on Wednesday, July 4, and include bike parades, music, family contests and fireworks to cap off the summer holiday.
The fireworks will be launched from a barge in the ocean off Ninth Street at 9 p.m. and will be best viewed from the beach and boardwalk between Fifth Street and 14th Street.
The fun starts with two bike parades at opposite ends of the island. Everybody is invited to participate, and thousands usually do. Both parades start at 10 a.m., and organizers encourage riders to dress themselves and their bicycles in the spirit of the holiday.
Registration for the Gardens Civic Association Bike Parade starts at 9 a.m. in the parking lot at the foot of the Ocean City-Longport toll bridge. The route makes its way to East Atlantic Boulevard with a finish near Beach Road. Registration for the South Ocean City Improvement Association Bike Parade is 9 a.m. at 40th Street and Asbury Avenue. This parade ends at the playground at 52nd Street and Haven Avenue.
Up at the Ocean City Music Pier, the city’s “Wacky Wednesday” celebration will include a good old-fashioned apple and cherry pie-eating contest at 10:30 a.m. The contest is free and open to all ages, but participation is limited to the first 150. For more information call 609-399-6111.
Ocean City Theatre Company’s Spotlight Performers Show Choir will present “A Star Spangled Salute” in front of the Music Pier (Boardwalk between Eighth Street and Ninth Street) at 6 p.m. The show will be followed by a kite-flying competition on the adjacent beach at 7 p.m. Registration for the free contest starts at 6 p.m. and includes categories of Most Patriotic, Largest, Smallest, Youngest Flyer, Highest Flying, Best Home-Made, Best Stunt Flyer and Oldest Flyer. Yo-yo and spinner demonstrations and contests, and a hula hoop contest begin at 8:30 p.m.
The Tidal Wave Band will perform in front of the Music Pier at 7:30 p.m. until the fireworks begin. The band will resume after the display and play until 10 p.m.
ALSO THIS WEEK
SAND-SCULPTING CONTEST (July 5): Registration is free and the informal competition begins at 9 a.m. at the Sixth Street Beach – the first one of the season. Judging takes place by 11 a.m. For more information, call 609-399-6111.
ROALD DAHL’S WILLY WONKA (July 6): The Ocean City Theatre Company’s Children’s Theatre Series opens with the classic story of a likeable lad named Charlie Bucket, who takes the tour of a chocolate factory with his equally amiable grandfather. Show time is 10:30 a.m. at the Ocean City Music Pier. Tickets are $10 in advance and $12 the day of show. Call 609-399-6111 or visit www.oceancityvacation.com/boxoffice.
“NEW YORK STATE OF MIND” (July 7): A live band celebrates the timeless music of Billy Joel. Seasoned performers from Broadway and beyond re-create Billy Joel’s classic songs. Proceeds benefit Ocean City’s Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 6650. Show time is 7:30 p.m. at the Ocean City Music Pier. Tickets are $40. Call 609-399-6111 or visit www.oceancityvacation.com/boxoffice.
DISNEY IN CONCERT: MAGICAL MUSIC FROM THE MOVIES (July 8): The Ocean City Pops Orchestra accompanies four seasoned performers singing Disney’s favorite hits, while video clips are projected on the Ocean City Music Pier’s new screens. Every new generation has a favorite Disney musical – from “Mary Poppins” to the “Little Mermaid” to “Frozen.” Show is 7:30 p.m. at the Ocean City Music Pier. Tickets are $35 to $45. Call 609-399-6111 or visit www.oceancityvacation.com/boxoffice.
INDIGO GIRLS (July 9): The 2018 Summer Concert Series on the Ocean City Music Pier continues with the Indigo Girls with special guests The War and Treaty. The concert begins at 7 p.m. at the Ocean City Music Pier, 825 Boardwalk and Moorlyn Terrace. Tickets start at $47. For tickets, please visit Ticketmaster, stop by the Ocean City Music Pier Box Office or call 1-800-745-3000.
CHILDREN’S THEATRE SERIES: JUNIE B. JONES (July 10): A delightful adaptation of four of Barbara Park’s best-selling books presented by the Ocean City Theatre Company. Show time is 10:30 a.m. at the Ocean City Music Pier. Tickets are $10 in advance and $12 the day of show. Call 609-399-6111 or visit www.oceancityvacation.com/boxoffice.
“A CHORUS LINE” (July 10-13): Presented by the Ocean City Pops and Ocean City Theatre Company, “A Chorus Line” is a stunning concept musical capturing the spirit and tension of a Broadway chorus audition. Show times are at 7:30 p.m. July 10, 11 and 13; and at 2 p.m. July 12. Tickets are $25 to $30. Show is at the Hughes Performing Arts Center, Sixth Street and Atlantic Avenue. Adult content — so discretion is advised. Call 609-399-6111 or visit www.oceancityvacation.com/boxoffice.
BABY PARADE REGISTRATION IS OPEN
For its 109th year, the Ocean City Baby Parade returns as a morning event. The 2018 parade will start at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, August 9.
Registration is now open for anybody interested in participating. For complete information and an online registration form, visit www.ocnj.us/BabyParade. Registrations are also being accepted at the Welcome Center of City Hall at Ninth Street and Asbury Avenue.
WEEKLY EVENTS FOR SUMMER 2018
Ocean City’s popular weekly FARMERS MARKET runs 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday, July 4, and returns every Wednesday through Sept. 5 on the grounds of the Ocean City Tabernacle on the 500 block of Asbury Avenue.
Starting in July and running through August, Ocean City’s boardwalk and downtown will be host to a series of weekly events:
- Funtastic Tuesdays: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on downtown Asbury Avenue. Entertainment, face painters, balloon sculptors and more.
- Mummers Nights: 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesdays on the boardwalk. String bands strut the boards between Sixth Street and 14th Street. Sponsored by: Shirt Shack, Preps, Ocean Treasures, Henry’s Fine Jewelry.
- Beach Walks: South end location at 59th Street and Central Avenue (entrance to Corson’s Inlet State Park) Tuesdays at 9 a.m., Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m. North end location at OC/Longport Bridge parking lot Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m, Wednesdays at 9 a.m. Tickets may be purchased on-site. Adults $1, children 50 cents.
- Market Days: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on downtown Asbury Avenue. Entertainment, face painters, balloon sculptors and more.
- Family Nights: 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Thursdays on the boardwalk. Different bands and entertainers set up between Sixth Street and 14th Street. Sponsored by: Shriver’s, Playland’s Castaway Cove and Johnson’s Popcorn.
- Historic Tours: 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Thursdays. Pick-up at 7th Street and Central Avenue.
