Ocean City Special Events Coordinator Michael Hartman holds 2019 First Night buttons and urges people to buy them soon. (Photos courtesy City of Ocean City)
By Maddy Vitale
Where else will $20 get a person a night of listening to bands, singing a bit of karaoke, watching a stunt dog show, catching fireworks and more while ringing in the New Year?
Only in Ocean City.
For just $20, families and friends will celebrate New Year's Eve with an array of family- friendly entertainment in an alcohol-free environment for First Night 2019.
To get your buttons now, visit www.firstnightocnj.com or call 609-399-6111. They’re also available at the Roy Gillian Welcome Center on the Ninth Street causeway, City Hall’s Welcome Center at 861 Asbury Ave. and the Welcome Center at 46th Street and West Avenue.
“I think with all the madness of the holidays, you really need to make time as a family, or as a group of friends, to set the plans for New Year's, get your buttons and commit to doing it,” said Ocean City Special Events Coordinator Michael Hartman. “In this day and age, you have to carve time out for memories. And for $20, the night is so affordable. It is a no-brainer if you are looking for a neat way to spend New Year’s.”
The all-inclusive admission buttons are good for more than 70 shows and activities at venues throughout Ocean City. The celebration begins at 4 p.m. and is capped off by a brilliant, fireworks show at midnight shot off from the Fifth Street beach.
The Spinners will be the headliner at the Music Pier during the First Night New Year's Eve celebration
Both Hartman and Bergen attributed some of the city’s success with First Night to its quality acts.
R&B legends The Spinners will be the headliner at the Music Pier for First Night.
The city also added some new entertainment to the lineup. Hartman anticipates the crowds will love the shows.
“Vocal Trash,” which is described as “Glee Meets Stomp,” will get the crowds energized with rhythmic music. Another exciting twist will be a “Rockin’ New Year’s Eve with the Ocean City Pops.” The orchestra will perform a concert featuring an American Bandstand feel. The entertainment lineup also includes Johnny Peers Stunt Dog Show. A Choo Choo Train will run between Sixth Street and Eighth Street on the Boardwalk between 4 p.m. and 10 p.m. and there will be traditional favorites including ice-skating.
For those who don’t relish going out in the cold, organizers have made it possible to watch more than one act at a venue, before heading to another.
“We sort of reinvented the schedule a little bit. In the past, it was always three hours of a show,” Hartman noted. “What we did was change it to two hours for one show and then another, so you don’t have to leave the venue.”
First Night offers families and friends a chance to celebrate the New Year safely with a host of activities and attractions.
Some of the venues include the Ocean City Community Center, the Music Pier, the High School, Primary School and Ocean City Tabernacle.
Bergen said while other First Night events have faded, Ocean City's has only grown more popular with families, making it an annual tradition for a safe New Year's Eve.
“It’s a great way to spend the holiday. It’s a great value for so much entertainment,” he said. “And it’s really fun to see Ocean City filled with summer-like crowds in the heart of winter.”
Hartman said the volunteers who work to make First Night possible deserve praise.
“I really want to thank all of the volunteers and committee members who, over the years, have helped build up such an incredible event.”
The historic Music Pier on the Boardwalk is resplendent in holiday decorations every year and will be the venue for The Spinners and other acts for First Night.
