Ocean City's “Miracle in the Downtown”

By MADDY VITALE There was Santa. There were two very happy elves. There was live entertainment. There were horse and carriage rides. And there were lots of holiday shopping deals Friday during Ocean City’s Christmas in the Downtown — “Our Miracle on Asbury Avenue.” And that was just in the afternoon. By nightfall, the festivities were capped off by a holiday tree lighting ceremony with a little help from Saint Nick. With the assistance of an Ocean City Fire Department ladder truck, he helped light the Christmas tree and illuminate City Hall. And there was plenty of entertainment. Singer Keith Hickman returned for the event to serenade the crowds. Members of the Ocean City Theatre Company also added to the festivities with their holiday performances. The avenue bustled as shoppers picked up gifts and stopped for lunch, hot drinks and even frozen yogurt. There were 16 family members in total who traveled from as close as Marlton and as far away as London, England, to make sure they did not miss Ocean City’s small-town version of Black Friday. Free carriage rides made for a real old-fashioned Christmas event. Brooke Duffy, 12, of Glendale, Pa., and her sister, Delaney, 15, with their cousins, sisters Morgan Williamson, 16, and Mackenzie, 15, of Marlton, and Bridget Duffy, 15, of London, and their parents visit Ocean City for the holidays to stay in their vacation homes. While the temperature was in the low to mid 40s, the winds whipped. That didn’t seem to bother the Duffys or the Williamsons, who did a lot of shopping with frozen yogurts in hand. “It’s cold for ice cream,” Brooke Duffy admitted with a laugh. The other girls giggled as well. “We come every year. It is fun for the family. There is a lot to do,” added Morgan Williamson. A steady line of people waited for photos with Santa in Mark Soifer Park, across from City Hall. From left, cousins Abi Young, 8, and Kayla Smull, 5, tell Santa what is on their wish list, with the help of their siblings, Chloe Smull,7, and 5-year-old Christian. Amy Young, of Havertown, Pa., and her children, Abi, 8, and Christian, 5, couldn’t wait to tell Santa what they wanted for Christmas. Young’s sister, Cindy Smull, and her husband, Jason, of Norristown, Pa., and their children, Chloe, 7, and Kayla, 5, came along for the family tradition. The sisters’ parents, Dave and Carol Chiccarine, have a home in Ocean City. “We come down in the summer, but it is also a really nice treat for us to celebrate the holidays in Ocean City,” Young said. “The town does a great job of hosting these types of family-friendly events.” Crowds await the tree lighting. (Photo courtesy of the Ocean City Regional Chamber of Commerce) Smull noted that even though the event was canceled last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the families still came to enjoy the downtown shopping and, of course, spend time with family. “We are really excited everything is back to normal,” Smull said. “And the kids just love coming.” Jenni Lamon, of Cinnaminson, N.J., and her children, 9-year-old twins Connor and Courtney, Corbin, 11, and 13-year-old Caleb, decided to forego their soccer game because they didn’t want to miss Ocean City’s festivities. “This has been our tradition since he was a baby,” Lamon said, pointing to her oldest child, Caleb. “This is our Ocean City tradition and the boys decided they would rather miss their soccer game than miss this.” The Lamon family takes a photo to memorialize their family tradition. From left, Courtney, Corbin, Connor and in front, Caleb. Lamon told the kids to pose in the lifeguard boat at the entrance to Mark Soifer Park. After that, they headed over to Santa and then before they left, they stopped for some photos at Santa’s Mailbox right outside of the park. “We want to keep the tradition going,” Lamon said with a smile. The event was sponsored by the Ocean City Regional Chamber of Commerce, Downtown Merchants Association and the City of Ocean City. For information about the Ocean City Regional Chamber of Commerce visit www.OceanCityVacation.com. The lighting of the Christmas tree caps off the festivities. (Photo courtesy of the Ocean City Regional Chamber of Commerce)