City officials will turn the key on another summer season at noon Friday.
The annual Unlocking of the Ocean ceremony takes place on the beach adjacent to the Ocean City Music Pier at Moorlyn Terrace.
The century-old tradition marks the beginning of the traditional tourist season.
Weekend activities begin 12 p.m. May 23 with the ceremony, in which Mayor Jay Gillian, other city officials, Ocean City Beach Patrol representatives and Ocean City historian Fred Miller will use a large wooden key to open the season.
A newer tradition immediately follows. The annual Business Persons Plunge invites anybody to take a fully clothed plunge into the unlocked ocean. John Walton, event organizer, will lead more than 100 enthusiasts across the beach and into the ocean. These include mascots, folks dressed in business attire toting briefcases and others in an array of goofy costumes. The Ocean City High School Band plays “Pomp and Circumstance” to accompany the march.
The Cumberland Regional High School Chorus, directed by Ed Sayre, will serenade plungers and spectators before and after the ceremony. Selections include “Under the Sea,” “Under the Boardwalk” and “Here Comes the Sun.”
Other Memorial Day Weekend events will include the following:
SATURDAY, MAY 24
StandUp4SEALS Beach Challenge: Watch or participate in three simultaneous events: a beach obstacle race, a stand-up paddleboard race in a box course through the surf and a kids fun run. The event raises money for the families of fallen Navy SEALS and other charities. It’s visible from the beach and boardwalk near the Ocean City Music Pier starting at 8 a.m. Read more about the event.
Patriotic Pops: Pianist-performer Linda Gentille will star in a patriotic program with the Jersey Shore Pops Orchestra at 7 p.m. in the Music Pier Auditorium, Boardwalk and Moorlyn Terrace. This Memorial Day Weekend Concert, “America,” is a tribute to “the great American heroes who inspired millions.” Enjoy the music of John Philip Sousa, Glenn Miller, Lee Greenwood, George Gershwin, Irving Berlin and George M. Cohan. Tickets are $25-$40, Children $20. Call (609) 628-4544, 1-800-838-3006 or access www.JerseyShorePops.org.
Free Concert: The Bucks County Singers present a free concert in front of the Music Pier, Boardwalk and Moorlyn Terrace, at 3:30 p.m. This 35 group ensemble, who have been performing in Ocean City for over 25 years, will sing selections from The Sound of Music, Oklahoma, South Pacific, The King and I, patriotic selections plus standard and pop songs.
MONDAY, MAY 26
MEMORIAL DAY SERVICE: Ocean City’s annual Memorial Day Service will be held 11 a.m. on Mon., May 26 at Veterans Memorial Park, 5th and Wesley Ave. In the event of inclement weather, the service will be moved across the street to the Tabernacle Auditorium. Also on May 26 at 9:15 a.m., Ocean City Lifeguards will row out in the waters opposite the Music Pier off the Moorlyn Terrace Beach and place a wreath to honor and remember the men and women who sacrificed their lives so that we can live free.
