By MADDY VITALE
Girls, get ready for a spectacular weekend in Ocean City, where shopping, dining, a fashion show and even a dance showcase will fill the days and nights.
The Downtown Merchants Association will host its annual Girls Weekend extravaganza beginning Friday, April 5, with a sold-out fashion show at the Ocean City Yacht Club that will feature spring and summer collections by retailers and modeled by locals.
Throughout the April 5-7 weekend, there will be deals on merchandise, dining specials throughout town and even a couple of new activities to shine a spotlight on the resort. Not to mention, hotel and bed-and-breakfast packages, prizes, wellness classes, craft projects and demonstrations at locations throughout town.
“Girls Weekend is becoming more and more of a destination weekend for a lot of women and families to visit Ocean City,” Michele Gillian, executive director of the Ocean City Regional Chamber of Commerce, said Thursday of the weekend festivities.
Gillian continued, “It really is a lot of fun. A lot of people participate in the fashion show and love to come out. Then we have so many great specials and activities downtown throughout the weekend.”
There are also a couple of new events for visitors to enjoy.
One new feature will be a Dance Showcase with performances from eight local dance studios from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday at Mark Soifer Park, 901 Asbury Ave.
“The local dance studios performing is a wonderful new addition,” Gillian said. “There are many activities going on throughout Ocean City over the weekend.”
In addition to the showcase, there will be an array of wellness classes and demos at resort shops to keep visitors busy while also focusing on health.
Caitlin Quirk, president of the Downtown Merchants Association, said the “merchants are looking forward to a great Girl’s Weekend.”
Quirk, owner of Bowfish Kids and DriftSpaces, said she is also excited about the new dance showcase.
“Similar to how Disney offers performances in their downtown, now we will get to for the day. I feel grateful for the partnership between the city and the chamber that made this idea a reality,” Quirk noted. “It’s been really wonderful getting an opportunity to work together and see how, as a community, we can make new things come to fruition.”
The Chamber of Commerce sponsors Girls Weekend each year. The event is in its eighth year if counting the COVID-19 pandemic years when retailers got creative in offering specials and deals and turned to social media platforms to do some events.
Gillian noted that retailers and restaurant owners help make the weekend a success each year.
“We partner for the accommodations, whether it is the Port-O-Call or The Flanders. They participate with us,” Gillian said. “The restaurants jump in to offer Girls Weekend specials. It is really so nice to see the businesses from the downtown to the Boardwalk and other citywide businesses participating. It really makes it a lot of fun for visitors.”
For updates about activities and participating businesses for Girls Weekend, visit facebook.com/DowntownOCNJ or by call 609-399-1412.
