Mayor Jay Gillian, with the help of historian Fred Miller and Cape May County Commissioner Bob Barr, turns the ceremonial wooden key to "unlock" the ocean in 2024.
After a long winter and chilly spring, Ocean City officials will finally turn a ceremonial wooden key to “unlock the ocean” to celebrate the arrival of the summer tourism season.
The free public event will be held at noon Friday, May 23, to kick off the Memorial Day weekend. It takes place on the beach between the Ocean City Music Pier and Ninth Street.
With the ocean officially open, a fully clothed entourage will then march into the chilly water to celebrate the annual Business Persons Plunge. The Ocean City High School band will play “Pomp and Circumstance” as local business owners and employees take the first swim of the summer.
The Business Persons Plunge has grown in popularity since it first started in 2004. Everyone is invited to participate.
It’s a chance for local businesses or organizations to get some free exposure or for members of the public to start Memorial Day weekend with a splash. Participants are asked to muster on the beach at 11:30 a.m. for instructions from long-time event organizer and promoter John Walton.
The businesspeople pose for a celebratory photo in the ocean during the 2024 plunge.The daily Boardwalk flag-raising ceremony – a beloved tradition in Ocean City – will begin for the 2025 season at the Music Pier starting on Friday, May 23. The event includes the playing of the national anthem and Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the U.S.A.” The ritual will take place at 9 a.m. every morning through Sept. 11.
Saturday morning (May 24) brings the Memorial Beach Challenge, allowing athletes to complete on a two-mile Navy Seal-inspired obstacle course that covers much of the beach on both sides of the Music Pier.
Proceeds from the event benefit The 31 Heroes Project, an organization that specializes in creating programs, financial support systems and future opportunities for service members, veterans and their families.
The race begins at 8:05 a.m. near the Music Pier (with welcome ceremonies starting at 7:35 a.m.). It also includes a Kids Fun. Visit memorialbeachchallenge.com for more information on the races and for registration.
Veterans perform the traditional presentation of the memorial wreath during the ceremony.Ocean City’s Memorial Day Service starts at 11 a.m. Monday, May 26 at Veterans Memorial Park (500 block of Wesley Avenue). All are encouraged to attend. The ceremony will recognize Gold Star Mothers and pay tribute to a 102-year-old World War II veteran from Ocean City.
The National Moment of Remembrance is also set for May 26. Established by Congress, the event asks Americans, wherever they are at 3 p.m. on Memorial Day, to pause in an act of national unity for one minute. Greg Murphy of Taps for Veterans will sounds “Taps” from the Music Pier to commemorate the moment. The performance will be broadcast on the Boardwalk public address system.
