Photoblogs
The Ocean City Experience: St. Patrick's Day
By KristinMarch 19, 20185 min read
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Step 1: Stay somewhere fun.
When I was little, we usually stayed at either my parents' friends condo, or the Quality Inn on 54th street. This was before they started experimenting with hotels (the Clarion and the Park Place are now two of their favorites), so when they said they'd be staying at the Quality Inn this weekend for the first time in about 10 years, my inner child rejoiced. Because the Quality Inn has birds. Lots of birds. And even a bearded dragon (see below). These animals just hang out in their atrium, which also features a pool and hot tubs and a bar. I was sad to see that the old second-floor playroom had been turned into a business center, but the latter would be more useful to me nowadays, anyway. My sister and I had good times up there.
If you're coming to town and expecting to have fun, you'll want to stay in a place where they know just how to have fun. It doesn't necessarily have to be the Quality Inn on 54th street, although this is a good option if you like bearded dragons. Get the most bang for your buck by booking at a hotel that throws an in-house party for the holiday. Here we enjoyed food, drinks at the bar right across from the room's front door and a DJ spinning hits from the '70s to today. Bonus points if you can find a fun place like this and snag a balcony overlooking the parade route.
Step 2: Start the morning off right.
We ate breakfast Saturday morning at the Sea Bay Cafe on 60th street right next to the 90 bridge, another throwback from my childhood. We really started feeling festive when we walked into the restaurant and saw a sea of green. My mom seemed to remember being able to look out the window here and see the various floats and marchers getting ready for the parade in the lot next to the restaurant. While this wasn't necessarily the case...
...We did see a few horses and their carriages waiting for the walk. This one happened to be a unicorn.
Step 3: Stake out your spot.
We don't do this so much anymore now that my family is mostly grown adults and teens. Most of us would rather sleep in and get breakfast, then just wander along the parade route and stop on whatever street seems nice enough. However, if you're looking to sit down through the parade, you'll want to stake out your spot early. And if you've got a kid with a competitive spirit looking to collect as much candy as possible... they'll probably manage to sneak to the front row anyway.
You're technically supposed to stand back on the sidewalk and behind the various barriers that are set out to keep viewers out of harm's way, but the block we were on was totally lawless. This is a holiday where most people take the "rules" as mere suggestions.
My sister and her friend left the parade after about an hour to explore the nearby Candy Kitchen (as almost-high schoolers, they were too proud to take candy off the street).
Step 4: Enjoy the parade.
Hopefully you came dressed in layers, because now you're in for almost two hours of parade watching.
Two hours of watching the bagpipers, local businesses and politicians on parade floats, school marching bands and local celebrities making their way down Coastal Highway.
Boardwalk Elvis was one of those local celebrities this year. If you're at all familiar with Ocean City and its many characters, the parade is an especially fun time to people-watch.
And collect samples of some of the best local flavors, like taffy from Dolle's. (It's best to wear a hat to parades like these, as candy-throwers have no inhibitions about hurling the hard stuff directly into the crowds.)
All in all, another chilly-but-super-fun St. Patrick's Day.
2018 winners
Best Marching Unit: Sussex Central High School Marching Band Honorable Mention: New York City Fire Department Retired Lt. Joseph DiMartino Best Commercial Float: Barn 34 Honorable Mention: Delaware Elevator Best Non-Commercial Float: The Frat Boys Honorable Mention: Relay for Life of Northern Worcester County Best Motorized Unit: Jolly Roger Parks Honorable Mention: Watermen and Waterwomen Best Adult Group: Barefoot Beach Bride Honorable Mention: Gerald and Esther Lupton Best Youth Group: Float of Hope Honorable Mention: K-Coast Surf Shop Special Committee Award: Ocean98/Seacrets/Seacrets Distilling Company Judges’ Choice Award: Camden County Emerald Society Pipes and Drums Best Overall: Believe in Tomorrow National Children’s FoundationAbout Kristin
Kristin is a writer and photographer in Ocean City, Maryland, and is the content manager for OceanCity.com and other State Ventures, LLC sites. She loves getting reader-submitted stories and photos, so send her an email anytime. She also works part-time at the Art League of Ocean City and the Ocean City Film Festival and lives just off the peninsula with her dog and fiancé. Her photos can be found on Instagram @oc_kristin.
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