Due to ongoing public health precautions during the coronavirus pandemic, Ocean City’s calendar of special events from the June 27 Antique Auto Show through the month of July will be canceled, the city announced Friday.
The cancellations include shows and concerts on the Ocean City Music Pier, Wacky Wednesday activities, Fourth of July events and fireworks, Night in Venice, sand sculpting contests, and the Freckle Contest, among others.
“Protecting the health and safety of everybody who loves Ocean City will always be our top priority,” Mayor Jay Gillian said.
Decisions on August events will be made at a later date, according to a city press release.
Separate from the city’s events, the Ocean City Gardens Civic Association has canceled its annual Fourth of July bike parade that winds through the north end of town.
Stretching for blocks, the parade is one of the traditions of Ocean City’s old-fashioned Independence Day festivities. Organizers say it has been held for at least 20 years and usually attracts around 1,000 bicyclists.
However, the decision was made to cancel it this year in response to the need for social distancing during the pandemic. There are plans to bring it back for Fourth of July in 2021.
At the opposite end of the island at the same time, a Fourth of July bike parade rolls through the south end of town under the direction of the South Ocean City Improvement Association.
But the SOCIA announced earlier that it was canceling this year’s south end bike parade because of the pandemic. There are plans to resume the parade in 2021.
