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Each fall, local realtor Gloria Votta is touched by the outpouring of support the community extends to a clothing drive she started about nine years ago. “The whole community donates,” Votta said Monday. “Residents and people who are second homeowners see it advertised and give. People are so generous.” The “Warmth for Winter Coat, Blanket & Boot Drive” by the Ocean City Board of Realtors began Oct. 5 and continues until Nov. 27.

People who love to shop had a little taste of what is to come in Ocean City in the way of discounts and deals this weekend with downtown and Boardwalk merchant sales, just ahead of the huge Fall Block Party on Oct. 12. Merchants offered discounts throughout the weekend on merchandise displayed outside their stores between Sixth Street and 14th Street along Asbury Avenue and the Boardwalk.

Jeep lovers displayed their wheels and personalities on the Ocean City Boardwalk Saturday afternoon. There was the 2016 Jeep Wrangler called the “Kerminator,” which featured Kermit the frog stuffed animals, a very lime green paint job and a mini-Jeep on the back for the famous amphibian. Then there was the red, white and blue Wrangler “Zombie Tactical Unit.” In all, about 500 Jeeps took lined the Boardwalk from Fifth Street to 14th Street in the Ocean City NJ Jeep Invasion.

After coming off one of their most successful summers ever, Ocean City business leaders will look to sustain the momentum by holding an economic summit headlined by the state’s tourism director. The Ocean City Regional Chamber of Commerce will host its annual business summit at the Flanders Hotel on Thursday, Oct. 10 at 8 a.m. to discuss the summer of 2019, strategize for the future and listen to the advice of a top leader in tourism, Jeff Vasser, executive director of the New Jersey Division of Travel and Tourism.

Ocean City’s Fall Block Party gives thousands of visitors an abundance of shopping, festivities and food to enjoy during the Columbus Day weekend. The colossal event runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 12. It features over 400 crafters, food vendors, musicians and entertainers who take over Asbury Avenue from Fifth Street to 14th Street. Each year it attracts 50,000 visitors. “The Fall Block Party serves as a grand celebration for all the second-season events that are going on in Ocean City,” explained Justin Juliano, of the Ocean City Regional Chamber of Commerce.

About 500 Jeeps will roll down the Boardwalk on Saturday, Oct. 5 and remain on display in lines that stretch from Fifth Street to 14th Street. The Ocean City NJ Jeep Invasion runs from noon to 5 p.m. The event raises money for local charities, and trophies are awarded to the best Jeeps in various categories. The show also includes vendors displaying and selling accessories at the Music Pier and on the 500 block of the Boardwalk. At the same time, visitors can take advantage of table sales with Ocean City merchants offering discounts on merchandise displayed outdoors between Sixth Street and 14th Street on the boardwalk and downtown Asbury Avenue. The table sales will take place on both Saturday and Sunday...

Each year the Ocean City New Jersey Education Foundation (OCNJEF) hosts a Red and White Social in the fall to benefit the district schools and provide a night of memories for friends and families, including past and present alumni. The event will be at Josie Kelly’s Public House on Saturday, Oct. 19 from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Tickets are $35 and will include a buffet, baskets, raffle for $1000 and "red" and "white" drink specials. The Billy Walton Band will perform at 9 p.m. to cap off the evening. “The "Red and White Social" will be a fun event and are thrilled to see so much support from the community, businesses and teachers as well,” said Jennifer Shirk, co-chairwoman with Heather James of the event. “Scott Renier, a teacher in the Intermediate School even donated his DJ Services for the night.” Each year the foundation hosts the fall fundraiser in the fall over Homecoming weekend and one in the spring...

Margaret Vido, of Allentown, Pa., breezed past hundreds of other runners Sunday morning, coming in first in Ocean City’s 10th annual Half Marathon. It wasn’t her first race win. Her time was an amazing 1:19:15. But the 13.1-mile trek that took her and 1,000 other finishers through Ocean City neighborhoods, the downtown business district, the beaches and the Boardwalk was something that really piqued Vido’s interest. “It was so much fun,” Vido said as she sipped water, barely looking as if she went for a walk, let alone a half marathon in the heat. “I have never run on the beach before, so it was really cool.”

Susan Price became emotional Saturday when she addressed the crowd during the opening ceremony for the Walk for the Wounded in Ocean City. She spoke about how her son died a hero in a life that was cut short before he could fulfill all of his goals and dreams. Price, of Tampa, Fla., a National Gold Star mother, spoke about how her story is no different than so many others: families torn apart with the loss of service men and women. The ceremony at the Music Pier kicked off the Walk for the Wounded event. It featured a three-mile walk from the Music Pier at Eighth Street to 14th Street.

Bob and Jan Bennett tried out a variety of chilis at the Chili Chowder Festival on Saturday afternoon at the Music Pier on the Boardwalk. And for the West Chester, Pa., couple, who have a vacation home in Ocean City, it is an annual event they enjoy. “We look forward to it every year,” said Bob Bennett.