Events

August special events kick off with the 52^nd edition of the BOARDWALK ART SHOW. It will be held Aug. 1-3 and will extend from 8^th to 11^th Streets on the Boards. More than 60 artists will participate in one of the longest running fine art shows in the Country.

Artists from New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, New York, Maryland, Virginia and Florida will exhibit and sell their work. It is traditionally a show where visitors can acquire excellent art at reasonable prices. Hours are Fri. and Sat., 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sun., 10 a.m. to 4p.m. Call (609) 525-9310.

The Boardwalk Art Show was started by Dr. Marcia Smith, Ocean City’s first female doctor, an honors graduate of the University of Pennsylvania who helped to fund the event. She and artist-businessman, James F. Penland, worked with Mayor B. Thomas Waldman to present the colorful exhibition.

NIGHT IN VENICE, the City’s gala Boat Parade and decorated home celebration is set for Saturday, July 26th starting 7:30 p.m.  The decorated boats will travel along the Bayfront and through lagoons from the Longport Bridge to Tennessee Ave.

Boat and Home entries will be competing for prizes. As of Tuesday morning boats are still registering for the event. Over 150 homes are expected to be decorated. Entries for boats and homes will be taken on line at www.ocnj.us/NIV until 4 p.m. on Wednesday, after that call 609-525-9300.

A FIREWORKS DISPLAY presented by the City’s Boardwalk Merchants Assn. is set for Wed., July 16. It will be visible off the Boardwalk starting10:30 p.m. This is the second of two fireworks shows hosted by the Boardwalk Merchants for the 2014 season.

Ocean City’s fifth annual Tribute to the PHILIPPINES is set for Sat. July 19 and Sun. July 20 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sat. and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sun. It will include free entertainment on the boardwalk and crafts plus many other exhibits in the loggia of the Music Pier. 

On Sunday, an additional event, a free Longevity Health Exposition, will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Senior Center of the Library, 17^th and Simpson Ave. It will feature Philippine physicians, nurses and therapists plus the serving of vegetarian foods.

Enjoy and take advantage of the free fun Ocean City offers through the end of August.

FUNTASTIC TUESDAYS: Held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Asbury Avenue features free balloon sculptors, face painters, and strolling Mummers, fun for the entire family. Also, there are 100 fine specialty stores to investigate. Plus numerous restaurants in the downtown where you can have breakfast or lunch while enjoying the free stuff.

MUMMERS NIGHT: Also on Tuesdays, enjoy Mummers Night on the Boardwalk, with String Bands strutting from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. sponsored by Shriver’s, the Surf Mall, Shirt Shack and Ocean Paradise. Enjoy a great evening on Ocean City’s Award Winning Boardwalk.

BEACH WALKS: Also on Tuesdays and Wednesdays take an informative and pleasant guided beach walk for a nominal price. Walk starts at South End Location, 59^th and Central Ave. at the entrance to Corson’s Park, Tuesdays at 9 a.m. and Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m. There’s a Walk from the north end starting at the Longport Bridge Parking lot (Gardens Parkway) Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m. and Wednesdays at 9 a.m. Tickets are available on site, Adults $1, Children 50 cents.

FARMERS MARKET: Held at Tabernacle Grounds every Wednesday with crafters on Asbury Ave. at 6th St., 8 a.m.-1 p.m. You can stroll free and buy stuff at economical prices now through Sept. 10th.

Ocean City’s July 4^th Events feature a 9:30 p.m. Musical Fireworks Display fired from a barge at sea off the Music Pier. The show will be a spectacular event visible from the Beach and Boardwalk. It will be preceded by events sponsored by Air Circus on the beach starting at the Music Pier.

These include a Kite Festival competition with registration at 6 p.m. Entry is free. Kite awards in various categories will be presented at 7:30 p.m. At 8 p.m., there will be a Yo Yo Demonstration and Contest followed by a Hula Hoop Competition at 8:30 p.m. Kite categories include Most Patriotic, Largest, Smallest, Highest Flying, Best Homemade, Best Stunt Flyer, Youngest Flyer and Oldest Flyer.

The popular band Tidal Wave will entertain in front of the Music Pier, Boardwalk and Moorlyn Terrace, starting at 7: 30 p.m. until approximately 8:45 p.m. The Band will play again after the fireworks are over.

We could all use some happy news, right? Well here's some that may make you smile. This year's Night In Venice Boat Parade will feature a new category: "The HAPPY DANCE CHALLENGE."  We normally have a number of entertaining dance entries in the Parade. This Challenge should enliven the Parade even more by tying into the viral Happy Dance sensation. We thank the Ocean City Chamber of Commerce for generating the idea.

The Best Three entries will be awarded a collector's item loving cup with a happy face engraved on it.  There will be safety precautions emphasized for dance entrants that will be reviewed at the mandatory Night In Venice boat captain's meeting.

The Night In Venice Boat Parade will be held on Sat., July 26 starting 7:30 p.m. by the Longport Bridge. All boat owners who participate in the Parade will be given a $50 decoration card, a free photo of their boat in the Parade and a commemorative mug featuring this year's suggested theme, "Night at the Oscars." There will also be prizes for best decorated Bay Front Homes.

Boat categories will include Most Original, Best Decorated, Musical, Comic, Classic (25 years or older with historic value) and Children's Division completely decorated by children 15 and under.) All boat captains are required to attend a meeting to be briefed on safety requirements including the necessity for life preserver jackets.

Boat and Bay Front home participants may enter on line by accessing www.ocnj.us/NIV.  For information, call 609-525-9300.We can also email you a form, contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Over 300 vintage cars will be featured in Ocean City’s popular ANTIQUE AUTO SHOW set for Sat., June 21 at the Tabernacle Grounds, 6^th and Asbury Ave. The show runs from 9 a.m. to 2p.m. at that location and is followed by a Boardwalk Parade from 5^th to 14^th Sts after 2 p.m. Admission to the show grounds is free.

The event has been held here for 59 years and is sponsored by the local chapter of the Antique Automobile Association of America and the City. The show is directed by David Blyler who took over the event from his late father, David Blyler, Sr.

The event features an array of vehicles including Model A and Model T Fords, antique military vehicles and cars of just about every make and model, 25 years or older. Blyler notes that such exotic antiques as Rolls Royces, Corvettes and others are showcased.

The cars are judged and prizes are awarded to the owners of the most outstanding entries. Visitors may take photos of the cars but are asked not to touch them without the owner’s permission. Refreshments are available on site from the Ocean City Rotary Club. For information, call David Blyler at (609) 432-5347.

The MISS NEW JERSEY PAGEANT returns to Ocean City this week. So do an army of Jeeps and a giant fireworks display.

The Pageant is set for June 12th to 14th with a Boardwalk Parade on Wed., June 11. All events begin at 7 p.m.

The annual Parade features all 24 contestants showing their shoes and dressed in colorful costumes. There will be music, marching units and other features in the popular event.

Preliminaries will be held June 12-13 with the finals set for Sat., June 14, at the Music Pier, Boardwalk and Moorlyn Terrace. All programs start at 7 p.m. The winner will represent the State at the Miss America Pageant in Atlantic City.

Ocean City will be represented by former Miss Ocean City, Devon Vanderslice and Sarah Ford, former Little Miss and Junior Miss Ocean City. Ticket prices are $35 for the preliminaries and $50 for the final. A three night package is available for $110. For tickets call (609) 315-1423. For more information on the Pageant visit www.missnewjersey.net.

Members of The ARTISANS Order of Mutual Protection will visit Ocean City June 6 through 8 for the 69^th time.  On Sat., June 7^th, they will hold the annual Miss Artisan Pageant to select a young lady to represent the organization for the coming year.

The free program starts 8 p.m. at the Music Pier, Boardwalk at Moorlyn Terrace and is open to the public. It will feature unusual entertainment. A group of professional circus clowns will provide an amusing interlude during the evening.

The Artisans will be led by Most Excellent Master Artisan, Theresa Ludwig, who will be presented a “Key to the City” during the evening. Mrs. Ludwig’s father, Gene Geary, was MEMA 30 years ago and recently swore her into office.

REMINDER: The City’s 42^nd Annual Flower Show is set for this weekend, May 30 through June 1 at the Music Pier. This show is a treat to see whether you’re a “green thumber” or just enjoy colorful, imaginative displays.

Theme for Artistic Design is “O for a Book and a Shady Nook” with displays capturing the titles of such classics as Treasure Island and The Jungle Book. There will also be a huge exhibit of Horticultural favorites such as roses, orchids, African Violets, etc.

Flower Show hours are 2 to 9 p.m. on May 30, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on May 31 and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sun., June 1. Admission to the Flower Show is free. Visitors are encouraged to leave a voluntary donation to support the show. Flower Show schedules are available at local florists, at the information center, ground floor of City Hall or by accessing gardenclubocnj.wordpress.com. 

Following are this weekend’s events by date:

(May 23) At noon, Mayor Gillian, City officials and lifeguards will turn a King Sized Key in the sand to officially open the Ocean. This takes place on the Moorlyn Terrace Beach, opposite the Music Pier.

Following this ceremony, the Ocean City High School Band gathers by the Pier to play an inspirational rendition of Pomp and Circumstance. Then comes the impressive parade known as the “Business Person’s Plunge.”  Several hundred enthusiastic revelers, some dressed in business attire toting briefcases, others in unusual or goofy costumes, plod into the Ocean led by irrepressible event organizer, John Walton. It’s their way of welcoming the vacation season and visitors back to Ocean City.

The BP plunge is probably the only event of its kind in the country. Take photos. Impress your friends. Urge them to visit America’s Greatest Family resort. The Cumberland Regional High School Chorus, directed by Ed Sayre, will serenade plungers and spectators before and after the dippy dip with such selections as “Under the Boardwalk” and “Here Comes the Sun.” Celebrated photographer-artist, Scott Griswold will produce a painting of the event. Visit his new studio across from City Hall, 9^th and Asbury Ave.

The Memorial Day Weekend has become a joyous recognition that the sunny season is returning. But more importantly, it is also a somber time, as we pause to recognize those who have given their lives in defense of our country. Ocean City’s annual Memorial Day Service will be held 11 a.m. on Mon., May 26 at Veterans Memorial Park, 5^th and Wesley Ave. In the event of inclement weather, the service will be moved across the street to the Tabernacle Auditorium. Also on May 26 at 9:15 a.m., Ocean City Lifeguards will row out in the waters opposite the Music Pier off the Moorlyn Terrace Beach and place a wreath to honor and remember the men and women who sacrificed their lives so that we can live free.

Weekend activities begin on May 23, at noon, when the Mayor, City Officials and Lifeguards meet to turn a large wooden key in the sand that officially opens the Ocean. The ceremony is emceed by Fred Miller, a former lifeguard and Ocean City Historian.

Ocean City has a diverse array of musical programs set for the Music Pier:

The multi talented Eddie Shiffler will star in a Rock Concert featuring some of the best, new talent on the East Coast at the Music Pier on Friday, May 9. A native of Ocean City, Shiffler is a singer, songwriter, musician whose new band, “Green Language,” will introduce its first album, “Of the Birds” during the show.

The concert is set from 6 to 10:30 p.m. in the Pier Auditorium, Boardwalk and Moorlyn Terrace. The album will feature all new sound tracks written by Shiffler whose musical career spans 18 years with concerts in New York and throughout the country. Green Language will play all the tracks on the new album during the concert. Of the Birds will be available that evening on download cards and limited edition CDs.

Ocean City’s “Mile-Long” Spring Block Party offers fun, food, entertainment, over 350 talented crafters, plus shopping specialties from 100 Asbury Ave. stores. The popular Festival is set for Sat., May 3^rd   from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. It extends from 5^th to 14^th Streets in the downtown and is produced by the Downtown Merchants Association.

The event began over 30 years ago. It first covered only two City blocks. It quickly gained notoriety and soon extended through the entire, downtown commercial area.

On a cool, windy March day in 1974, Martin Z. Mollusk, Ocean City’s relatively famous hermit crab, made his first, and what turned out to be an historic creep, onto the 9^th St. Beach. Martin was fulfilling a life long dream to be recognized as a legitimate weather forecaster.

An orphan, Martin was abandoned along the Great, Gray Zambesi River in Africa. It was here that he passed the time studying the clouds, wind currents etc. and taught himself to forecast the weather with extreme accuracy.

After numerous trials and tribulations, Martin was able stow away on a flight to Tepid Swamp, Louisiana, a Mecca for hermit crabs and home of Tepid Tech, the world’s only University for Crustaceans. Here he obtained a Doctorate in Climatology and met his future wife, the clawsome Mollie Shellfish.

(April 17, April 18) “The Living Last Supper,” a portrayal of Leonardo da Vinci’s famous painting, will be presented at the Ocean City Tabernacle, 550 Wesley Ave., at 7 p.m. both days.

The unique programs are sponsored by the Tabernacle and St. Peter’s United Methodist Church. The audience is invited to watch the portrayal as each disciple emerges from the portrait and speaks. Cast includes members of Ocean City and area churches.                                            

(April 19) The Woofin’ Paws Pet Fashion Show, starts 11 a.m. at Carey Stadium, 6^th St. off Boardwalk. Registration begins 10 am. This event is a competition for any “pet that will not eat another pet.”

There are two exciting events in Ocean City this Saturday April 12^th: The 29^th Annual Doo Dah Parade and the first of two Easter Egg Hunts scheduled for the season.

The Doo Dah Parade, Ocean City’s tribute to humor and legendary comedians, begins noon at 6^th and Asbury Ave., proceeds to 12^th and Asbury, from there turns to the Boardwalk and ends in front of the Music Pier at Moorlyn Terrace where there is an awards ceremony and the PieAsco is held.

The PieAsco is a tribute to the late, great “pie in the face comedian” Soupy Sales, who attended the Doo Dah Parade for many years. Folks (this can be you) sit in grand stands and smoosh each other with Shaving Cream Pies, the kind Soupy used on his syndicated TV show. If you participate, you receive a certificate praising your smooshing abilities.

It’s now time to start seriously thinking about Ocean City’s exciting April events. They include two great Easter Egg hunts, The Doo Dah Parade, The Woofin’ Paws Pet Fashion Show, The Sunrise Service and Easter Fashion Competition.

TWO EGG HUNTS:  (APRIL 12 and19) Because of the popularity of our Easter Egg Hunts, the Boardwalk Merchants are presenting two this year. Both will be held from 11^th to 13^th St. on the Beach at 2:30 p.m. There will be five age groups: Up to 2 years at 11^th St., 3 years at 11^th St., 4 years at 12^th St., 5 years at 12^th St.  6 years and 7 years at 13^th St. Rain dates are April 13 and April 20 at 2:20 p.m. 180,000 Eggs with Candy and Toys will be distributed.  For more information, call 1-800-BeachNJ.

Ocean City’s First Mr. Mature America Pageant on Saturday received a standing ovation from an audience of 400. The event began with a lively and humorous production number choreographed by Jessica Albertson. This set the stage for a very entertaining show by talented contestants 60 and over.

Frank Faralli Jr., 61, a nurse from Cape May Court House, is the world’s first Mr. Mature America. Mr. Faralli sang Edelweiss for his talent, and won the poise and interview awards. Former Ocean City mayor, Roy Gillian, 84, won Talent with an impressive rendition of piano favorites.

What was it like to interview the President of the United States? You’ll find out if you attend the Nation’s first Mr. Mature America Pageant this Saturday, March 22^nd at the Music Pier.

Dick Sheeran, Broadcast Hall of Fame member and former Philadelphia Channel 3 Anchor, will let you know. During his 30 year TV career, Dick covered many National political Conventions and interviewed scores of celebrities including President Jimmy Carter. He will assist emcee Maribeth Neall and relate interesting anecdotes during the Pageant. Sheeran will also present the Pageant’s First Inspiration Award to Atlantic City icon, Pinky Kravitz for his many achievements in radio and public service.