O.C. Happenings: Music Pier Hosts Springsteen and Broadway Tributes

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Students showcase their talents in the 2019 performance of "School House Rocks Live!" (Photo courtesy OCTC)

Summer has officially arrived, and that means Ocean City’s busy calendar of beach, Boardwalk and downtown events is underway. From the popular weekly Farmers Market, Funtastic Tuesdays and Market Days in the downtown to Wacky Wednesdays, Family Nights and Mummers Nights up on the Boardwalk, the schedule holds something for everybody. The Ocean City Music Pier is a place to see the Summer Concert Series, a Springsteen tribute band and a Broadway celebration on tap. The local Ocean City post will celebrate the 100^th anniversary of the American Legion by presenting “BRUCE IN THE USA,” the world’s No. 1 tribute to Bruce Springsteen, at 7 p.m. Saturday, June 29. This high-energy musical experience is a near-perfect and visually accurate re-creation of a Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band show. For tickets ($35), visit oceancityvacation.com/boxoffice call 609 399-6111 or stop by the Music Pier Box Office, City Hall Welcome Center (861 Asbury Avenue) or the Roy Gillian Welcome Center (on the Route 52 causeway). All proceeds benefit the veterans programs of Morvay-Miley Post 524 in Ocean City.

"Bruce In the USA," a cover band, will perform at the Music Pier in a show sponsored by American Legion Post 524. (Photo courtesy American Legion Post 524) The Ocean City Theatre Company will present “BROADWAY ON THE OC BOARDWALK,” a show featuring Broadway's Nicholas Edwards (“Frozen”) and Christian Thompson (“Ain't Too Proud To Beg”), at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday (June 26) at the Ocean City Music Pier. The show will bring a variety of Broadway favorites to life. Show time is 7:30 p.m. at the Ocean City Music Pier. For tickets ($18 to $20), visit www.oceancityvacation.com/boxoffice, call 609 399-6111 or stop by the Music Pier Box Office, City Hall Welcome Center (861 Asbury Avenue) or the Roy Gillian Welcome Center (on the Route 52 causeway). The 2019 SUMMER CONCERT SERIES at the Ocean City Music Pier opens Monday (June 24) with legendary bluesman BUDDY GUY in concert. RICHARD THOMPSON – named by Rolling Stone as one of the Top 20 guitarists of all time – will deliver a rare solo acoustic performance on Tuesday (June 25) with special guest Joan Osborne performing the songs of Bob Dylan. The HAPPY TOGETHER TOUR celebrates its 10th anniversary with an all-star lineup featuring The Turtles, Chuck Negron (formerly of Three Dog Night), Gary Puckett & The Union Gap, The Buckinghams, The Classics IV, and The Cowsills at 7 p.m. Monday, June 30. For tickets, visit www.ticketmaster.com or stop by the Ocean City Music Pier Box Office.

Memphis Miller, of Gilbertsville, Pa., shows off her spider creation during a July 2018 Wacky Wednesday. FARMERS MARKET, WACKY WEDNESDAYS AND BEACH EXERCISE Ocean City’s popular weekly FARMERS MARKET opens for the season 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday, June 26. It returns every Wednesday through Sept. 4 on the grounds of the Ocean City Tabernacle on the 500 block of Asbury Avenue. Crafters will be set up adjacent to the Farmers Market. Families can use their creativity to shape and sculpt salt water taffy into their unique masterpieces during WACKY WEDNESDAY on June 26. The contest is free and open to all ages. Start time is 10:30 a.m. at the Ocean City Music Pier, Boardwalk at Moorlyn Terrace. Sponsored by Shriver’s Salt Water Taffy. A variety of similar contests will be held weekly on Wednesdays throughout the summer. For more information on each week’s theme, visit www.oceancityvacation.com or call 609-399-6111. All are invited to participate in a free BEACH EXERCISE program 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at Sixth Street Beach. Just bring a towel and a friend. The sessions are hosted by the Ocean City Aquatic and Fitness Center. MORE WEEKLY EVENTS FOR SUMMER 2019 Starting in July and running through August, Ocean City’s boardwalk and downtown will be host to a series of weekly events:

Funtastic Tuesdays: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on downtown Asbury Avenue. Entertainment, face painters, balloon sculptors and more.
Mummers Nights: 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesdays on the boardwalk. String bands strut the boards between Sixth Street and 14^th Street.
Beach Walks: Guided nature walks begin at 59th Street and Central Avenue (entrance to Corson’s Inlet State Park) Tuesdays at 9 a.m. and Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m. Tickets may be purchased on-site. Adults $1, children 50 cents.
Market Days: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on downtown Asbury Avenue. Entertainment, face painters, balloon sculptors and more.
Family Nights: 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Thursdays on the boardwalk. Different bands and entertainers set up between Sixth Street and 14^th Street.
Historic Inn Tours: 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Thursdays. Pick-up at 7^th Street and Central Avenue. (Last week for this program is Aug. 22)
Weekly Fun Runs: Meet at Carey Stadium (beach block of Sixth Street) on Tuesday and Thursday evenings at 6 p.m. No entry fee – just show up and run. Tuesdays (starting July 2) are kids runs (ages 2 and up) of 50 meters, 100 meters, 200 meters, 400 meters and 800 meters. Thursdays are 5-kilometer cross-country, 1-mile and 2-mile runs for all ages (starting June 27).

Playland's Castaway Cove will offer discounts during a June 26 benefit. ALSO COMING UP FUNDAY at Playland (June 26): Four hours of unlimited rides for $15 (excludes Gale Force) will benefit the charity Community Quest Inc. Event runs 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. with wristbands available starting at noon. Playland’s Castaway Cove is at 10th Street and Boardwalk. SCHOOL HOUSE ROCK LIVE (July 2): The Emmy Award-winning 1970s Saturday morning cartoon series that taught history, grammar, math and more through clever songs is not only making a small-screen comeback, it's lighting up stages everywhere – from school multi-purpose rooms to university and regional theatres all around the country. The Ocean City Theatre Company will present this kids’ show at 10:30 a.m. at the Ocean City Music Pier. For tickets ($10 to $12), visit oceancityvacation.com/boxoffice call 609 399-6111 or stop by the Music Pier Box Office, City Hall Welcome Center (861 Asbury Avenue) or the Roy Gillian Welcome Center (on the Route 52 causeway).

"School House Rock Live!" opens July 2 at the Music Pier. (Photo courtesy OCTC) STAR-SPANGLED SPECTACULAR (July 3): Come join Maestro Vince Lee on opening night for the Ocean City Pops, which will celebrate the birth of our nation with heart-warming favorites, patriotic classics and a grand salute to our troops. Show is 7:30 p.m. at the Ocean City Music Pier. For tickets ($20 to $25), visit www.oceancityvacation.com/boxoffice call 609 399-6111 or stop by the Music Pier Box Office, City Hall Welcome Center (861 Asbury Avenue) or the Roy Gillian Welcome Center (on the Route 52 causeway). FOURTH OF JULY (July 4): Ocean City’s Independence Day celebration includes bike parades (registration 9 a.m. and parade at 10 a.m. for both) in the Gardens (sign up at the Longport Bridge parking lot) and the south end (register at 40^th Street and Asbury Avenue). A 7 p.m. kite-flying competition takes place on the beach next to the Music Pier. A spectacular boardwalk fireworks display tops off the evening at 9 p.m. The fireworks will be launched from a barge off the Music Pier and best be viewed from the beach or boardwalk between Fifth Street and 14^th Street. For more information, call 609-399-6111.