Black Friday Ocean City Style: An Old-Fashioned Christmas in the Downtown

Ocean City played host to its annual "Old Fashioned Family Christmas" celebration Friday — an event that involved neither malls nor mobs of bargain-hunters. Free horse-and-carriage rides are available noon to 3 p.m. weekends in Ocean City, NJ, leaving from Ninth Street and Asbury Avenue. Christmas in the Downtown brought strolling entertainers, free horse-and-carriage rides, community caroling and discount shopping to downtown Asbury Avenue from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. The Phillie Phanatic made a special appearance. the Ocean City Theatre Company performed and OCTC Artistic Director Michael Hartman served as emcee. The event culminated with the appearance of Santa Claus on the roof of City Hall. Santa descended with the help of an Ocean City Fire Department ladder truck. The annual event is sponsored by the Downtown Merchants Association, and it brought crowds of shoppers and visitors to Ocean City on a cold and windy Friday. Holiday events in Ocean City continue with:

• Free Horse and Carriage Rides: Weekends through Christmas, noon to 3 p.m. with pickup at Ninth Street and Asbury Avenue.
• Breakfast With Santa: At Ocean City restaurants from 8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. weekends. See full Ocean City Breakfast With Santa schedule.
• Christmas Parade: The annual Christmas Parade will be held 6:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 5, along downtown Asbury Avenue. Read more.
• First Night Ocean City: Ocean City's annual non-alcoholic family New Year's Eve celebration is scheduled for Dec. 31. Discount admission buttons are available through Nov. 30.

Ocean City's Downtown Christmas concluded with the illumination of City Hall on Friday, Nov. 28.