Ocean City Hosts Blockbuster Holiday Weekend

By MADDY VITALE Thousands of visitors spent the holidays in Ocean City, from ringing in the New Year with the family-friendly “First Night” events to being a spectator or taking the traditional plunge into the ocean on New Year’s Day or running in the “First Day 5K.” In short, the town was hopping and so was business. “It was crowded all weekend. The downtown was packed. The Boardwalk was packed. Lodging was full. Restaurants had lines,” Michele Gillian, executive director of the Ocean City Regional Chamber of Commerce, said in an interview Tuesday. “People were in and out of stores all day. Commerce was very healthy this weekend in Ocean City.” First Night in Ocean City was modeled after an alcohol-free New Year’s Eve celebration in Boston that marked the nation’s bicentennial in 1976, the city said in a news release. The first celebration in the resort was in 1992 and included 25 entertainment acts in five different locations. The event has grown over the years, not just in popularity, but in size. This year’s event featured 70 activities, acts and entertainment in 20 venues and it sold out at the capped number of 10,000 admission buttons. “Thirty-one years ago, when First Night first started, no one imagined what it would become,” Gillian said of the annual event. “It is a wonderful event and is one of the longest consecutive running in the country. It is a perfect match for Ocean City because it is family oriented. There is something for babes in arms to people who are 104. It is just a spectacular event that really fits the brand and the quote of Ocean City as America’s Greatest Family Resort.” "Gypsy" performs to a crowd on First Night at the Music Pier. (Photo courtesy of Martin Fiedler, Just Right TV Productions) Because First Night is such a draw for tourists, second homeowners and year-round residents, it provides a great economic boost during a time when business normally wanes in the winter. “I think First Night gives a final push for business at the end of the year for retail and restaurants,” Gillian noted. “Throughout town, people were walking with shopping bags and food establishments were filled. It was a very well-attended weekend for second homeowners and people coming from all over.” Weather was mild in the mid to upper 40s throughout the weekend, which also helped tourism, she added. Caitlin Quirk, president of the Downtown Merchants Association, said the holiday weekend was “very busy in the downtown.” “It’s been really great to see how that week between Christmas and New Year’s has become a second homeowner retreat. People come down and support the downtown and it is so helpful to the stores,” said Quirk, the owner of Bowfish Kids. Downtown stores are festively decorated for the holidays, making them more inviting to shoppers. Quirk said the holiday week has become vital to the downtown businesses. “It has become such an important week in the downtown. I know a lot of the stores, mine included, did big sales. It is such a nice treat to see our second homeowner customers and celebrate the holiday season with them. It is a nice tradition that I think has become a consistent thing for them,” she said. Quirk has been a shop owner in the downtown for seven years and prior to that she was on the Boardwalk. She said she has seen the holiday weekend crowds grow over the past couple of years. “It is definitely a force to be reckoned with and it is so nice to see the people coming out to support the downtown,” she said. “It’s a great partnership between us and the Chamber.” While business was bustling in the downtown, the Boardwalk also had throngs of people who enjoyed the shops, amusements, and eateries throughout the weekend. Wes Kazmarck, president of the Boardwalk Merchants Association, said it was an “exceptional” weekend for business. Like Gillian, he pointed to mild weather as a key factor in keeping tourists out and about, resulting in more dining and shopping. "When you get a seasonally warm New Year’s Eve weekend to go along with First Night, you tend to have a found-money weekend," Kazmarck said. “It's nice to get one last shot before the winter really starts.” For more information about Ocean City visit oceancityvacation.com. There were 2,400 plungers, plus spectators, bringing business to the downtown and the Boardwalk New Year's Day.