Philadelphia Eagles veteran Brandon Graham and his family will be special guests and appear in the 2024 Night in Venice boat parade on July 20 in Ocean City.
Graham will return for his 15th season with the Eagles this year. He is a former first-round draft pick and All-Pro defensive end. He helped the Eagles reach the Super Bowl in 2018 and provided a strip sack of Tom Brady that helped seal the victory in the closing minutes.
His work ethic, talent and loyalty to the team have made him a fan favorite, and the Graham family has made Philadelphia their home.
“Brandon represents everything that Philly fans love, and it’s a great honor to have the Grahams join us,” Mayor Jay Gillian said. “They’ll get a warm welcome from everybody in Ocean City.”
The themed boat parade and decorated bayfront home contest provide a chance to be part of the highlight of the summer season in Ocean City.
Thousands of spectators line the bayfront, and thousands more attend private parties at homes along the route from the Ocean City-Longport Bridge to Tennessee Avenue. The parade starts at 6:30 p.m., and this year’s theme is “Summertime Vibes: A Tribute to Jimmy Buffett.”
ESPN reporter and host Marty Smith will be grand marshal. A fireworks display will light up the bay and cap off the festivities after the parade is complete.
Free shuttle transportation will be available and free grandstands will be set up at street ends along the route. For more information on participating in the event or attending, visit www.ocnj.us/niv or call 609-399-6111. Presenting sponsors for 2024 Night in Venice are ACME Markets and OCNJ Watersports.
Tickets for a July 19 concert featuring the Jimmy Buffett tribute band The Landsharks are on sale now. The show will start at 7:30 p.m. Friday, July 19, at the Ocean City Music Pier and will be a perfect warmup for Night in Venice.
Tickets are also on sale for a special viewing area at the Bayside Center for Night in Venice. The viewing area will include a picnic spot and snack stand, face-painting, a DJ, and bleacher seating. Ticket prices will be $6 for children (12 and under) and $10 for adults (with service fees included). The area will remain open and provide a perfect spot to view a fireworks display after the boat parade.
Tickets for the concert and the viewing area will be available online at oceancityvacation.com/boxoffice, by calling 609-399-6111 or in-person at the Music Pier Box Office, City Hall, the Welcome Center on the Ninth Street causeway, and the 46th Street Information Center.
The Southend Bike Parade is one of three in the resort on Fourth of July. (Photo courtesy of Ocean City)
FOURTH OF JULY EVENTS
The Ocean City Pops will once again give a pair of free outdoor concerts on July 3 and July 4 to celebrate Independence Day. In 8 p.m. shows at Carey Stadium (just off Boardwalk between Fifth Street and Sixth Street), the Pops will perform patriotic classics and audience favorites in honor of our nation’s birthday. Bring a beach chair or blanket to sit on the field, and there will be seating available in the bleachers. The July 4 show will be followed immediately by the holiday fireworks, and Carey Stadium provides a great place to view the display.
At 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, July 3, the first of the summer’s Wacky Wednesdays will feature a good old-fashioned apple and cherry pie-eating contest. No hands allowed. The contest is free, and open to all ages, but it will be limited to 150 participants. Wacky Wednesdays invite families and individuals to participate in a series of different contests. They are held at the Ocean City Music Pier (Boardwalk at Moorlyn Terrace) at 10:30 a.m. every week of the summer.
The Fourth of July in Ocean City always starts with a set of family bike parades. Participants are encouraged to dress and decorate their bikes in the spirit of the holiday.
The Gardens parade starts at 10 a.m. at the Longport Bridge parking lot with registration opening at 9 a.m. The South Ocean City parade starts at 10 a.m. at 40th Street and Asbury Avenue (also with 9 a.m. registration). The Riviera Neighborhood parade starts at noon at the Rosemar Lane Park (with 11 a.m. registration).
A kite-flying competition will start at 7 p.m. July 4 on the beach near the Ocean City Music Pier.
The fireworks begin at 9 p.m. July 4. The display will be launched from a barge off the Ocean City Music Pier, and it will be best viewed from the beach or Boardwalk between Fifth Street and 14th Street.
WEEKLY ACTIVITIES AND EVENTS
Free beach exercise (yoga) classes are underway every Monday from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. on the Sixth Street Beach volleyball courts. Free Pilates classes take place every Wednesday at the same time and place. Friday classes are low-impact exercise. Bring a towel and a friend. For more information, call 609-398-6900.
Family Nights on the Boardwalk move this year to Mondays and Wednesdays. Free entertainment will include jugglers, music, characters and more from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. between Eighth Street and 12th Street. The first Family Night of the season will be on Monday, July 8.
Funtastic Tuesdays will bring entertainment, face-painters, balloon-sculptors and more to downtown Asbury Avenue on Tuesdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., starting on July 9. Similar family fun will be part of Market Days from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Thursday.
Mummers Night will feature string bands strutting the Boardwalk between Sixth Street and 14th Street from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. every Tuesday starting on July 9. This year, the Mummers will return every Thursday evening during the same hours.
Free guided Beach Walks will feature information on shells, birds, animals and the shore ecosystem at 9 a.m. Tuesdays and 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays starting July 2. Meet at the entrance to Corson’s Inlet State Park at 59th Street and Central Avenue.
Killer Queen – A Tribute to Queen will perform at the Music Pier. (Photo courtesy of Ocean City)
ALSO COMING UP SOON
JUNE 30 – Bernadette Peters Performing with the Ocean City Pops: Peters will join the Pops at the Ocean City Music Pier to kick off the 2024 season. The award-winning actress and singer’s career spans film, television and stage. She won Tony Awards for her roles in the musicals “Annie Get Your Gun” and “Song and Dance,” and she received five other nominations and an honorary award. Four of the cast albums on which she starred have won Grammy Awards. Tickets for this show are sold out.
JULY 1 – Killer Queen: The 2024 Summer Concert Series at the Ocean City Music Pier continues with a 7 p.m. concert by a premier Queen tribute band. See ticket information.
JULY 2 – Garfield, The Musical With Cattitude: The Greater Ocean City Theatre Company open its 2024 children’s musical theater series with a show following Garfield, a chubby and sarcastic tabby cat fantasizing about having the most amazing birthday in the history of birthdays. The show begins at 10:30 a.m. at the Ocean City Music Pier. Tickets available at oceancitytheatrecompany.com.
JULY 6 – Ocean City Sailing Foundation’s Annual Open House: Free sailboat rides help people experience the fun of sailing and learn about the OCSF’s weekly sailing camps for kids ages 8 to 14. The Open House is 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, July 6 at the Bayside Center (520 Bay Avenue). Visit ocnjsailingfoundation.org or call 609-418-3356 for more information about camps for kids or private lessons for adults.
JULY 7 – Ocean City Pops Present Greatest Hits: Back by popular demand, Maestro Vince Lee will take you on a whirlwind tour of the wide variety of genres that the Ocean City Pops is famous for. The concert begins at 7:30 p.m. at the Ocean City Music Pier. Tickets available at oceancityvacation.com/boxoffice.
