By MADDY VITALE
Tara Wigginton, of Ocean City, walked into City Hall on Saturday morning with two very important things in mind.
“I’m getting seven buttons to First Night,” she said. “They go up after today.”
Wigginton was pleased with her savings of $35. The cost per First Night admission button for the family-friendly way to ring in the New Year goes up from $15 to $20 beginning Sunday.
The non-alcoholic New Year’s Eve celebration features more than 70 entertainment programs at 20 different locations in Ocean City from 4 p.m. until midnight, with a fireworks display to cap off the festivities.
“I get them before they are sold out,” Wigginton said of the First Night buttons. “My family goes every year. My nieces and nephews go, too. It is a great family tradition.”
She also purchased five 2020 beach tags, which went on sale this weekend.
Preseason 2020 beach tags save beachgoers money and also make popular stocking stuffers.
Each year Wigginton buys four preseason tags for her immediate family and one for a guest.
Again, she saved money. Beach tags are $20 preseason, then they go up after May 16 to $25.
Bill and Barb Blunt, of Pottstown, Pa., were also in line at City Hall for the beach tags.
They seek out savings on their beach tags each year and make sure to head to the resort for the weekend and also to make the savvy purchases.
The Blunts offer four of the beach tags to their renters at their vacation home in Ocean City.
They also buy one extra.
“The beach tags are for us and also the renters. We want to make sure the tenants have them, too,” Bill Blunt said. “We also buy an extra one for our daughter. She likes to have her own for when she visits, and they make great stocking stuffers.”
Samantha Dowling, who works for the city, was ringing up the patrons at City Hall.
Dowling said people were steadily coming in to purchase the beach tags and to take advantage of the last day for discounted First Night buttons.
“With Small Business Saturday today, and the beach tags becoming available this weekend, I expect we will be really busy today,” she noted.
Bill Blunt, of Pottstown, Pa., purchases 2020 beach tags for his family and tenants at his summer home in Ocean City.
Here is a list of the locations for 2020 Beach Tags and First Night Buttons:
- City Hall (861 Asbury Ave.) - Mon-Fri 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Sat-Sun 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (winter hours)
- Rt. 52 Welcome Center - Mon-Sat 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Sun 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. (winter hours)
- Henry Knight Building (12th Street and Haven Ave.) - Mon-Fri 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. (no holidays).
- Aquatic & Fitness Center (17th Street and Simpson Ave.) - Mon-Fri 5 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Sat 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Sun 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- 46th Street Welcome Center (4500 block of West Avenue) - Mon-Fri 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
For more information about the 2020 beach tags visit www.ocnj.us. For more information and schedule updates for First Night, visit www.firstnightocnj.com.
