Ocean City Happenings: MS City to Shore Ride, OCNJ Half Marathon, Fall Block Party

Cyclists and Runners Take Over for the Weekend as Ocean City hosts MS City to Shore Ride and OCNJ Half Marathon. Thousands of bicyclists and runners will descend upon Ocean City this weekend for two annual traditions: the MS City to Shore Ride on Saturday and the OCNJ Half Marathon on Sunday. With 7,000 cyclists raising $5.6 million, the MS City to Shore Ride boasts that it is the best cycling experience on the East Coast. The ride will end in Ocean City on Saturday, Sept. 29. The annual bicycle trek begins in Cherry Hill and finishes at the parking lot at Fifth Street and Boardwalk with many of the riders staying overnight and returning the next day. The event is a fundraiser for the Multiple Sclerosis Society. Motorists should expect delays along a route that travels from the Route 52 causeway to Bay Avenue to Fifth Street. For more information, call 800-445-BIKE or visit www.mscycling.org. The OCNJ Half Marathon is expected to draw a lot of runners. (courtesy City of Ocean City) The 9th annual OCNJ Half Marathon is scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 30. The event also includes a 10-mile non-competitive walk/run and a 5-kilometer race. The combined races included more than 1,600 finishers last year with 985 completing the half marathon. Organizers expect a record field for all of the races this year with more than 1,650 already registered. The increasingly popular event showcases Ocean City’s Boardwalk, downtown and neighborhoods with ocean views throughout a fast, flat course. The public is encouraged to come out and cheer for runners. Local “celebrities” are on hand, including Ocean City mascot Martin Z. Mollusk and the OCHS Red Raider mascot. Volunteer groups man “peppy” water stations and are judged for their themes. Music along the route provides a boost for all the participants. The OCNJ Half Marathon and 10-Miler start at 8:30 a.m. The event will include some brief road closings, including the closing of the Ocean City-Longport Bridge from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. on race day. Drivers on other streets and Boardwalk pedestrians/bicyclists should anticipate delays as the field of runners passes by. It’s not too late register for any of the events. For information, course maps and registration, visit www.ocnj.us/race-events. Athletes and everybody else in town this weekend can take advantage of Boardwalk and downtown merchant table sales on Saturday and Sunday (Sept. 29 and 30). Shop for fall discounts from Ocean City merchants between Sixth and 14^th streets on Asbury Avenue and the Boardwalk. First Night buttons go on sale Monday All-inclusive admission buttons for Ocean City’s popular and family-friendly First Night New Year’s Eve celebration will go on sale starting at 9 a.m. Monday, Oct. 1. The price is a discounted $15 through Nov. 30, and they can be purchased at oceancityvacation.com/boxoffice or by calling 609-399-6111. You can also purchase tickets in person by visiting the Roy Gillian Welcome Center on the Ninth Street causeway, City Hall’s Welcome Center at 861 Asbury Avenue or the Welcome Center at 46^th Street and West Avenue. Starting Dec. 1, the price will go up to $20. Ventriloquist John Pizzi will entertain the crowd during First Night. (ridenews.com) This year’s lineup of First Night activities and entertainment will feature traditional favorites like ice-skating, open swim, the Fabulous Greaseband and the Ocean City Pops. Some of the new highlights include a children’s show with Genevieve of Disney Junior’s Choo Choo Soul, ventriloquist John Pizzi, a “Live-Science Show” from the Franklin Institute, and a slapstick comedy dog show titled “Johnny Peers & the Muttville Comix.” The Spinners will headline entertainment at the Ocean City Music Pier. Start putting together your team of family and friends for the new Quizzo Live Team Trivia competition. Coming up in October Oil paint exhibit (All of October): Oil painter Rick Phillips, a native of the Susquehanna Valley in Pennsylvania, brings his classic oils to the Ocean City Arts Center October 1 through October 31.  A “Meet the Artist” reception, free and open to the public, will be held Friday, October 12 from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.  All work will be for sale. Fall author luncheon (Oct. 4): Denise Kiernan will be featured in a luncheon presented by the board and volunteers of the Ocean City Free Public Library. Kiernan is an author, journalist and producer. Her titles include “The Last Castle” and “The Girls of Atomic City.” A book-signing starts at 11:15 a.m. at the Flanders Hotel. The luncheon follows. For more information, visit friendsvolunteersocfpl.com. ‘Xanadu’ (Oct. 5, 6 and 7): The Ocean City Theatre Company presents “Xanadu,” a Tony Award-nominated, hilarious, roller-skating, musical adventure about following your dreams. The show features an original hit score composed by pop-rock legends Jeff Lynne and John Farrar and is based on the Universal Pictures cult classic movie of the same title, which starred Olivia Newton-John and Gene Kelly. Shows are 7:30 p.m. Oct. 5 and 6 and 2 p.m. Oct. 7. Tickets are available at oceancityvacation.com/boxoffice or by calling 609-399-6111. Crowds surge along Asbury Avenue in the heart of downtown for the Fall Block Party in 2017. Fall Block Party and fireworks spectacular (Oct. 6): More than 400 crafters join food vendors, entertainers and more along a mile of downtown Asbury Avenue from Fifth Street to 14^th Street. The block party runs rain or shine from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. In the evening, a fireworks display will light up the skies over the beach and Boardwalk starting at 9 p.m. For more information, call 1-800-BEACH-NJ. Indian Summer weekend (Oct. 6 to 8):  Seafood vendors will set up at the Music Pier and Boardwalk and downtown merchants will hold table sales with discounted merchandise between Sixth Street and 14^th Street. 21 Down Walk (Oct. 7): Noon registration at the Sports & Civic Center, Sixth Street and Boardwalk. For more information, email [email protected] or call 609-390-5645.