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Ocean City

Marching Towards St. Patrick’s Day.

With Valentines Day behind us, it’s time to fold our mirrors in on February and look straight ahead to St. Patrick’s Day. There’s nothing quite like the St. Patrick’s Day celebration in Ocean City. Like a bear from hibernation, our favorite resort town awakes from its long winter nap. The sidewalks of Coastal Highway will be packed with onlookers standing shoulder to shoulder between 60th and 45th street to witness the Ocean City St. Patrick’s Day parade. The street that practically had tumble weeds blowing down it a few days before now will become a sea of green filled with marching bands and floats carrying riders that will be throwing candy into the hands of waiting children.

 

No matter what their true ancestry, everyone is Irish St. Patrick’s Day weekend, and all are strongly encouraged to show it. For not only will the residents be coming out of the woodwork, but many vacationers will visit the city this weekend to take part in the festivities. For many this is a chance to see their favorite resort town in a whole different light. The busy summer traffic is replaced by a slow moving promenade, decked out in green, and it’s a sure bet that you won’t see many skimpy bikinis this time of year, but guys wearing kilts are sure to turn some heads as they play their bagpipes good and loud! 

Participating in St. Patrick's Day festivities at BJ's on the Water during the last St. Patrick's Day event were Phyllis Jones, Dee Barnhill, Mimi Clough and Stephen, Agnes and Patrick Molloy.
Participating in St. Patrick’s Day festivities at BJ’s on the Water during the last St. Patrick’s Day event were Phyllis Jones, Dee Barnhill, Mimi Clough and Stephen, Agnes and Patrick Molloy.

Let’s cheer things up, though

So, if you decide to visit Ocean City this year for St. Patrick’s Day, and I certainly hope you do, The Outsider of course, has your back. If everyone in your party is over 21 your options are practically endless. Grab a copy of Ocean City Today, or one of the other publications in your hotel lobby, and you’ll find plenty of ads letting you know what bands are playing where and what type of specials they will be running throughout the weekend. No matter whether we have a parade or not, there will be no shortage of grownup entertainment in and around the town. All you need to do is use your head, make good choices, and above all else please don’t drink and drive.

Now, if you’re traveling with children, that is a different story. It would be a good idea to start with a hotel that has an indoor pool. My pick would be the Carousel Hotel. They have a great indoor pool, hot tub, and of course the indoor ice skating rink. The rooms are very modern and clean. The staff is always very accommodating and I can honestly say that I’ve never had a less than stellar experience at this hotel. Plus, it’s located right on the beach. So if you have good weather during you visit, that opens the door up to beach activities such as Frisbee, kite flying, or even just throwing football. And, while I’ll be crossing my fingers for sunshine, it wouldn’t hurt to have a few more indoor activities on the back burner: indoor golf at Old Pro golf on 68th street and Laser Tag at Planet Maze on 33rd street are always solid choices to keep in mind. No matter what the weather ends up doing on this weekend, remember that any weekend in Ocean City is better than a weekend at home.
Sincerely,

The Ocean City Outsider.

This story originally was published in 2016. It has been updated for relevance  — Ed.

 

The Outsider
The Outsider
The Ocean City Outsider remains anonymous in an effort to ensure he receives no preferential treatment. This allows him to give fair and honest views of businesses, and the goings on in and around the resort. He is not controlled by this website, city hall, a tourism department, or any other entity. The goal is to share his unique unbiased perspective, in hopes of enhancing the Ocean City experience for vacationers, while keeping the town, and it's establishments on their toes!

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