Get ready for a "spooktacular" time at the Halloween Parade Thursday. (Photo courtesy of Ocean City)
Ocean City’s 74th annual Halloween Parade will be held on Thursday (Oct. 27) and promises a great time for all.
The event is a favorite on the fall calendar and features local children, families, bands, entertainers, businesses and organizations costumed for the occasion.
The parade starts at 7:15 p.m. and proceeds down Asbury Avenue from Sixth Street to 11th Street.
The event is sponsored by the Ocean City Exchange Club. Watching the parade is free – with great spots to catch all the action from either side of downtown Asbury Avenue.
Late registration for participants in the parade will be available at a table staffed from 6:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. on parade night at Sixth Street and Asbury Avenue. For more information, call 800-813-5580 or visit ochp.blogspot.com.
Judging for the third annual Halloween House Decorating Contest in Ocean City will take place on Wednesday and Thursday.
A list of winners and participants will be posted Friday (Oct. 28) at www.ocnj.us/halloween, so everybody can check out all the homes and businesses that were decorated in the spirit of the holiday.
The Ocean City Skate Park at Fifth Street and Asbury Avenue will celebrate Halloween 4 p.m. to dusk on Saturday, Oct. 29.
Skateboarders are invited to come dressed for the holiday. There will be prizes for best costume and best trick, and candy for the participants.
Traditional trick-or-treating hours for Ocean City will be 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Monday, Oct. 31.
Students in grades 7 to 12 will star in 
The Halloween House Decorating Contest is a fun event for families to showcase their spooky displays.
REGISTRATION OPEN FOR TRAIL OF TWO CITIES 5K
The Trail of Two Cities 5-kilometer run/walk will be held for the 26th time on Saturday, Nov. 5. The popular 5K (3.1-mile) race offers spectacular views over the length of a point-to-point course from Ocean City to Somers Point.
The route travels the length of the Route 52 causeway in the lanes usually reserved for cars.
Pre-registration fee is $25, and participants can sign up online until Wednesday, Nov. 2 at www.ocnj.us/race-events.
Race-day registration runs at 7 a.m. to 7:45 a.m. at the Ocean City Transportation Center (10th Street and Haven Avenue in Ocean City). The race starts there at 8 a.m. and finishes at Kennedy Park in Somers Point.
Buses will be available at the finish line in Somers Point to transport runners to the start in Ocean City before the race from 7 a.m. to 7:30 a.m.
Buses also will be available to transport runners back to Ocean City from Somers Point after the race. The awards ceremony will be held at JFK Park after all participants have completed the course.
For more information, visit www.ocnj.us/race-events.
The 5-kilometer Trail of Two Cities Run covers a point-to-point course across the Route 52 causeway from Ocean City to Somers Point.
