Event Description: With over 30 food vendors, free live entertainment on two stages, and a huge selection of arts and craft vendors, there is something for everyone at Ocean City’s Sunfest. Enjoy four days filled with something for all the family, including over 250 vendors, live music, artistic demonstrations, gourmet food and beverages, family hayrides on the beach and kids activities. this year there will also be a craft beer garden featuring locally brewed craft beer from Burley Oak.
Remember, admission to Sunfest is FREE!
Thursday – Saturday: 10am – 7pm
Sunday: 10am – 6pm
Parking is restricted at the festival grounds so it is advised visitors take advantage of the Town’s park and ride services. The West Ocean City Park and Ride on Route 50 just west of the bridge provides a convenient location for attendees with free parking and shuttle service to and from the South Transit Center on S. Division Street, just one block from Sunfest. Shuttle service is $3 to ride all day.
Special Event express shuttle service is also available at the Convention Center on 40th Street, where you can park for free in the south lot and ride the express shuttle directly to Sunfest. Fare is $3 to ride all day, as is the normal Coastal Highway bus fare service. Additional park and ride locations are also located at the Public Safety Building on 65th Street, the municipal lot at 100th St. and Northside Park at 125th St. (walk to bus stop on Coastal Highway).
Sunfest boasts 2 live outdoor stages with playing live music. Over 20 groups will perform covering musical styles from rock, country, fusion and R&B. All performances are free.
I would like to know what happened to it being in September like it was when it started. October is too late in the fall for sun fest, my girlfriends and I came faithfully every year and when spring fest started we came to that also. The old saying is If it isn’t broken don’t fix it, Put it back on the dates in mid September Mayor!
Definitely like it earlier. I am in OCMD only part time. Earlier made it better for me living in Florida the other time. This year I will come the end of June. Last year I came the end of August and stayed till after Sunfest. Last year was not a great fall season weather wise.
Being a local, my family and I have attended dozens of Sunfests. Many have been less than comfortable as far as temps and sun. No way to predict the weather several months out. Many visitors to OC don’t realize that we have great weather here well into November with 70+ degree days. We attended 2022, and the days were beautiful. Not sure what some are saying about pools and restaurants. All motels close their outdoor pools after Labor Day, so they were never open during to old dates. And any good restaurant is open into the Fall, with lots of choices. As far as venders, many times we have seen the same old stuff, year after year. This date change provided many new venders and was what was needed to breathe fresh air into the event. Best in years. Plus, all the music was free!
I agree with you 100%. My daughter and I make it our annual tradition now because of the later dates. Nothing worse than walking the boardwalk when the heat is unbearable and this is the perfect time of the year. Hotel costs are cheaper and all the new and different vendors made early Xmas shopping perfect. Love the event and new dates. Keep ‘em please.
They need to put it back to the first weekend in Oct! To cold, no pools at hotels are open (outside pools) several restaurants are closed. The stupid major needs to put the date back as he/she is the one that changed the date in the first place. Some of the vendors couldn’t make the 2022 sunfest as they were already booked in advanced. Change it back Mayor!!!!!
Does anyone know when it will be next year?2023. We need to mark off for our vacations in January.
Thanks
Just attended Sunfest today..October 21st. Beautiful sunny weather and was it crowded!! Fantastic day….very lucky it was not in September. I believe it would have bern the weekend that Ian hit the area. Would have been canceled for sure.
I love that it was moved, because now it falls on a 4 day weekend for HoCo schools, so I’m able to attend the full weekend with my kids!
The weather looks to be warm enough for wandering around, without it being too hot. And excellent breezes for kites!
Excited for this weekend!
We have attended 33 years to Sunfest and enjoyed it with all our guests. Now we can’t attend without paying extra to stay at that cold time. We were there during Hugo when it was cancelled. I don’t think too highly of the people who changed the date because of other events who took over without being sanctioned. I also know a lot of vendors and store owners who were not pleased. Sunfest is for everybody. Calling Ocean was for only those who had lots of money to buy tickets.
Please think twice when you make the date for next year.
Respectfully,
Moe and Roe
We have been coming for yrs. Myself daughter and kids. We too have to put in vacation ahead of time. SO Disappointed it was pushed into the end of October. I think you will have many vendors and dedicated people just not come. Thanks ocmd. I think you will be very sorry and lose alot of money. Sad from PA
Agree. Way too late for Sun Fest. Won’t be attending.
Disappointed in the date change too. Should have kept it for September. Now it should be called FALLFEST!
October is far to late for Sunfest. It is unfair to move it. We had to put in for our vacation the beginning of the year and now we will not be able to attend. Sunfest has always been a certain time and people knew when it was. It is too cool to sit outside at that time of the year for the entertainment. I’m sure many of your vendors will not be there because that is not when they were expecting it. Makes me wonder whose idea it was to change the dates. Ocean City shouldn’t have messed with a good thing!
Totally assanine for a Sunfest to be NOT in the sun. Why do other events get the sun?
October is far to late for sunfest will be cool sitting outside mm🤬🤬🤬
Not fair to move to Oct 20 for Sunfest. Saw Rick K at local casino he was not happy and thought he was committed else where. Have you (Frank) alerted vendors, ect people who support the festival. We have to put our vacation days Jan 1st now we are unable to attend. Thanks a lot and I say that with a bad attitude. We have been coming 19 years. That is toooo cold to sit outside for a festival.
I agree with you Luann 110%. I was ok when they changed it to the first weekend of Oct but Oct 20th is just to late in the year. Yes we love Springfest & Sunfest & have been coming since 2007. Now with the date being so late in the year, the ocean is getting cold then, a lot of our favorite restaurants are not open then, the hotels don’t have any of the outdoor pools open either. I heard the Mayor did this change. He needs to put it back to the first weekend in Oct. Several of the vendors can’t do that weekend due to already being booked a year ahead. Put it back stupid Mayor!