The Ocean City Labor Day Race features a five-mile beach run and one-mile fun run-walk. (Photo courtesy of Ocean City)
Country music comes to the Ocean City Music Pier on Friday, Aug. 30 with a concert featuring the Swon Brothers and Josh Gracin.
The Swon Brothers burst onto the scene in 2013 by bringing country music to the finale of NBC’s “The Voice,” and they continue to tour and record great music. Josh Gracin first hit the country music charts 15 years ago, and he’s making the best music of his career.
The country music show is a first for the Ocean City Music Pier, which has been a long-time home to the Ocean City Pops orchestra, the annual rock Summer Concert Series and countless other events.
The concert begins at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 30. Tickets ($25 to $30) are available at www.oceancityvacation.com/boxoffice, by calling 609-399-6111, or at the Music Pier Box Office, the City Hall Welcome Center (861 Asbury Avenue) or the Roy Gillian Welcome Center (on the Rt. 52 causeway).
While special events will continue uninterrupted through the fall and some of the best weather is still on the way, the traditional summer season in Ocean City comes to a close on Labor Day.
That makes this the final week to catch up on some of Ocean City’s popular weekly summer events.
Wacky Wednesday (Aug. 28) invites families and individuals to use their creativity to shape and sculpt french fries into unique masterpieces. The free contest starts at 10:30 a.m. at the Ocean City Music Pier (between Eighth and Ninth streets on the Boardwalk).
Downtown Market Days (Aug. 29) brings entertainment and kids’ activities to Asbury Avenue between Sixth Street and 11th Street on Thursday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Family Night (Aug. 29) provides bands and other performers on the Boardwalk from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Two more weeks remain for the Farmers Market, a popular summer attraction each Wednesday.
The weekly Farmers Market (Aug. 28 and Sept. 4) will be open for two more weeks with fresh produce and local crafts available from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the grounds of the Ocean City Tabernacle (between Fifth and Sixth streets along Asbury Avenue).
The Ocean City Pops 2019 season continues with two concerts this week.
A Salute to the 100th Anniversary of the American Legion (August 28): The Ocean City Pops celebrates the 100th anniversary of the American Legion with rousing works by Morton Gould, Aaron Copland, Leroy Anderson and Irving Berlin, among others. Tickets are $15 to $20.
“A Star is Born:” The Concert (Sept. 1): Three legendary icons, three beloved motion pictures, and three best-selling soundtrack albums equal one epic concert celebration.
Judy Garland, Barbra Streisand and Lady Gaga each stole our hearts with “A Star is Born.” Now a trio of Broadway/cabaret's best voices join forces to celebrate the music from all three iconic film versions. The show features “The Man That Got Away,” “Shallow” and the Academy Award-winning “Evergreen.” Tickets are $25 to $35.
Tickets are available at available at the Ocean City Music Pier Box Office, by visiting oceancityvacation.com/boxoffice, by calling 609-399-6111 or by stopping by the Ocean City Music Pier Box Office or any welcome center in Ocean City. Shows start at 7:30 p.m.
Ocean City’s traditional end-of-summer event, the OCNJ Labor Day Race, features a five-mile beach run and one-mile fun run/walk. Race-day registration starts at 7:30 a.m. Monday, Sept. 2, on the beach at 23rd Street. The race starts at 9 a.m. To pre-register, visit www.ocnj.us/Race-Events.
The Ocean City Labor Day Race features a five-mile beach run and one-mile fun run-walk. (Photo courtesy Ocean City)
Street rods and other classic cars will be on display during Ocean City’s annual Street Rod Weekend Sept. 6 and 7. Street rods are classic cars (1989 or older) modified with modern parts. Registration to participate is still open with forms available at www.ocnj.us/carshow.
Friday evening (Sept. 6) will feature a sock-hop party on the grounds of the Tabernacle, 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., with dancing, games, family fun and more.
On Saturday, cars will be displayed at the Tabernacle grounds from 8 a.m. to noon and will then proceed to the Ocean City Boardwalk to be displayed until 4 p.m. An awards ceremony will take place at 3 p.m. Saturday (Sept. 7) in front of the Music Pier (at Boardwalk and Moorlyn Terrace).
As part of the weekend festivities, tickets are on sale now for LaKisha Jones in “Queens of Rock and Soul” (Sept. 7). Join American Idol finalist LaKisha Jones and the Ocean City Pops Orchestra in a celebration of the great ladies of soul, including Diana Ross, Donna Summer, Tina Turner, the legendary Aretha Franklin and Whitney Houston.
A frequent soloist with symphonies around the world, Jones has performed as a guest soloist with the National Symphony, San Diego Symphony, Utah Symphony and Opera, Winnipeg Symphony, Evansville Philharmonic, Jacksonville Symphony, Minnesota Orchestra, Colorado Symphony, Grand Rapids Symphony, Reno Philharmonic and more. Tickets are $25 to $30 and are available at the Ocean City Music Pier Box Office, by visiting oceancityvacation.com/boxoffice
A performance of "Amazing Grace" by bagpiper Jeff Tuthill, of Seaville, served as an emotional moment at the 9/11 ceremony in 2018.
9/11 Remembrance Ceremony (Sept. 11): "A Day to Remember" will include music, prayer and reflections on the memory of lives lost and on the community spirit that was renewed in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. All are encouraged to attend at 6 p.m. at the Ocean City Tabernacle, 550 Wesley Avenue.
Symphony Night at the Pops (Sept. 11): Cody Austin and the world-class musicians of the Ocean City Pops are the stars of the show. The orchestra will be at its best as Maestro Vince Lee leads some of the greatest and most-beloved music in history, featuring favorites such as Beethoven's Fifth Symphony and selections from Wagner's operatic Ring Cycle. Tickets are $20 to $25. Tickets are available at oceancityvacation.com/boxoffice or by calling 609-399-6111.
Bill Scheible Returns (Sept. 14): The Pops’ retired maestro and artistic director returns to conduct a program featuring the most recent winners of the Esther Weil student competition at the Music Pier. Tickets are $15 to $20. Tickets are available at oceancityvacation.com/boxoffice or by calling 609-399-6111.
Walk To Defeat ALS (Sept. 14): This two-mile walk on the Boardwalk raises funds to support patient services and research. Registration is 9 a.m. and the walk will start at 10 a.m. Registration is at the practice field at Sixth Street and Boardwalk. For more information, visit www.oceancitywalktodefeatals.org.
Ocean City Airport Festival (Sept. 14): Annual festival at the Municipal Airport, 26th Street and Bay Avenue. 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Features include a ground display of unusual airplanes ranging from World War II Planes to Classics and Warbirds. The event will feature a parachute jump from Team Fastrax. For more information, call 609-399-6111.
Parachute Pyrotechnic Show (Sept. 14): The show consists of several highly trained and specially licensed Team Fastrax demonstrators exiting the aircraft 6,000 feet above Ocean City’s beach and boardwalk. Brilliant white or multi-colored projectile pyrotechnics are then ignited and flown in formation, creating a dazzling display for spectators on the ground. The jump begins at 8 p.m. with a landing on the Seventh Street Beach. Viewable along the entire Boardwalk.
Boardwalk Aerobatic Airshow (Sept. 15): Thrill to some of the best stunt pilots and aerobatic champions in the world plus military demonstrations. The show begins at 1 p.m. and is best viewed from Sixth Street to 14th Street along the beach and Boardwalk. For more information, call 609-399-6111.
Two planes fly in close formation while performing a daring maneuver at the Ocean City Aerobatic Air Show in 2017. (Courtesy Ian Crowley)
