Fall Block Party, Fireworks and More

Ocean City’s premier autumn event – the Fall Block Party – will go off rain or shine from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 9. More than 400 crafters, food vendors and entertainers will line a mile of downtown Asbury Avenue between Fifth Street and 14th Street. The Block Party helps draw tens of thousands of people to Ocean City for Columbus Day Weekend. Entertainers and bands will perform at various spots along the Avenue between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. Just a few of the perennial favorites include Big Daddy (at 6th Street), the Pennsport String Band (at 13th Street from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.) and Keith Hickman (at 14th Street). Pony rides for children will be available on the grounds of the Ocean City Tabernacle (at Sixth Street and Asbury Avenue) from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Vendors, including Asbury Avenue restaurants, will offer food of every variety. Street parking will be free at all metered spots and all municipal parking lots in Ocean City, including at the Transportation Center lot (Ninth Street and Haven Avenue) and at the municipal lots on the 700 and 800 blocks of Central Avenue. A 9 p.m. fireworks display over the ocean caps off the evening. The show will be launched from a barge off the Ocean City Music Pier and will be best viewed from the Boardwalk and beach between Fifth Street and 14th Street. The Indian Summer Weekend (Oct. 9 to 11) celebration also includes table sales by downtown and Boardwalk merchants with discounted merchandise set up between Sixth Street and 14th Street on the Boardwalk and Asbury Avenue throughout the weekend. Nathan Sullivan, 6, and his 4-year-old sister, Harper, check out an Ocean City fire truck during the 2019 open house. FIRE DEPARTMENT OPEN HOUSE WELCOMES COMMUNITY ON THURSDAY: The Ocean City Fire Department and IAFF Local 4032 will hold their annual Open House at the fire station at 550 Asbury Avenue from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 7. Everybody in the community is invited to this free event. It will feature a live burn demonstration, a “smoke house” where kids can safely learn to navigate a dark and smoky structure, tours of trucks, “stop-drop-and-roll,” hot dogs and pretzels. The annual event coincides with national Fire Prevention Month and gives the community a chance to learn more about how the department works. Off-duty firefighters from the local firefighters’ union volunteer their time to produce the event. Rain date will be Oct. 8. For information, call (609) 525-9182. MUSICAL CELEBRATES FEMALE ARTISTS OF THE ’60s: Five performances of “Beehive — The ’60s Musical” will be staged between Oct. 8 and Oct. 17. The show is a toe-tapping musical tribute to the rockin’ women who made the music of the era so special – everyone from Lesley Gore to Janis Joplin, from the Shirelles to the Supremes, Aretha Franklin to Tina Turner. This fully staged musical revue will feature a professional cast of performers. Show times are 7 p.m. Oct. 8, 9, 15 and 16, and 2 p.m. Oct. 17 at the Ocean City Music Pier. Tickets $20, $18 (seniors). Call 609-399-6111 or visit oceancityvacation.com/boxoffice. OCEAN CITY TO SPONSOR HALLOWEEN HOUSE DECORATING CONTEST: Registration is open for the second annual Halloween House Decorating Contest in Ocean City. The contest encourages everybody to get in the spirit of the holiday in a safe and fun way. Judges will award prizes for homes in each of the city’s four wards and for businesses. Deadline for registration is 4 p.m. Friday, Oct. 22. A list of participants will be posted, so everybody can see the decorated homes. For more information and to sign up, please visit www.ocnj.us/halloween. Car buffs marvel over a a classic silver convertible Porsche on display in 2019. COMING SOON:

• Making Strides Breast Cancer of Ocean City (Oct. 10): The American Cancer Society’s Making Strides is a 5,000-plus participant breast cancer fundraising 5K walk honoring over 250 survivors in Ocean City. Information and registration are available at http://www.makingstrideswalk.org/OceanCityNJ.

• Porsche Boardwalk Reunion (Oct. 16): Porsches will be displayed from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the Boardwalk from 6th Street to 14th Street. More than 350 Porsches of all models and years between 1954 and 2021 are expected. Free tech sessions on Porsche-related topics open to all at the Music Pier.

• John R. Elliott Hero Walk and 1-Mile Fun Run (Oct. 17): The HERO Fun Run will take place at 10 a.m. HERO ceremonies are at 10:30 a.m. The HERO Walk along the Ocean City Boardwalk commences at 11 a.m. The organization raises awareness of the importance of sober designated drivers. Registration begins at 9 a.m. at the Sports & Civic Center, 6th & Boardwalk. For more information, visit herocampaign.org or call 609-626-3880.

• Dog Day (Oct. 23): Leashed dogs will be permitted on the Boardwalk from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. All are welcome and encouraged to bring their favorite furry canine friend. Activities for the day include dog-specific vendors at the Music Pier, photo-op stations on the Boardwalk, and the Humane Society of Ocean City’s “Pet of the Year” Announcement. For more information, call 609-399-6111.

• “Howl-O-Ween” Parade (Oct. 23): Hosted by the Humane Society of Ocean City, the inaugural “Howl-O-Ween” Parade and dog costume contest is for people and dogs of all ages. Contestants are encouraged to dress themselves and their pooch in zany, fun Halloween costumes in the spirit of the season. HSOC’s “Pet of the Year” will be the event’s grand marshal. Registration begins at 2 p.m. at the Sports & Civic Center located at 6th & Boardwalk. The parade begins at 3 p.m. and the procession is from 6th to 14th Street on the Boardwalk. For more information call 609-399-6111.