As Senate votes to overturn post-Labor Day school start, Hogan seeks referendum

Kristin
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As Senate votes to overturn post-Labor Day school start, Hogan seeks referendum

In 2016, Gov. Larry Hogan signed an executive order, from a podium situated right on the Ocean City boardwalk, that mandated Maryland’s public schools not start for the year until after Labor Day. In recent weeks, Democrats in the General Assembly have challenged this order in support of school districts determining their own schedules.

A standing committee of the Maryland State Senate, the Education, Health and Environmental Affairs Committee, voted on Senate Bill 128 on Wednesday, which passed 7-4. Among other things, the bill allows individual school districts to determine their own start and end dates. 

Senators debated the bill on Thursday, when Hogan spoke out against the legislation and claimed that the majority of Marylanders, including teachers, support starting school after Labor Day. He referenced polling that shows over 70% of Marylanders continue to support his executive order.

The new legislation, he said, is an effort to subvert the will of the people by “out-of-touch politicians” and “paid political operatives.”

“Inexplicably, they are attempting to reverse this policy, but we simply cannot and we will not allow misguided and misinformed legislators and special interest groups to turn back the clock and ignore the will of the people of Maryland,” Hogan said. 

Supporters of Senate Bill 128, headed by the bill’s sponsor Paul Pinsky (D-Prince George’s), have argued that school districts need the flexibility to maintain their own annual schedules and that politics should be left out of education policy. Some educators claim that pushing back the start date of the school year has resulted in the loss of valuable learning time for students.

The executive order that went into effect in 2016 was initially popularized by Comptroller Peter Franchot’s “Let Summer Be Summer” campaign, which launched in 2014. The campaign was accompanied by a petition for all public schools to start after Labor Day, which was ultimately signed by 13,240 Marylanders. 

An economic development impact report on a post-Labor Day start for public schools that was released in August of 2013 found that a delayed school start in Maryland would result in an additional $74.3 million in direct economic activity, including $3.7 million in new wages and a separate $7.7 million in state and local revenue. 

Hogan posted a petition to his Facebook page on Feb. 5, asking Marylanders to “Stand with us and our efforts to restore common sense to school calendars.” The Town of Ocean City’s tourism Facebook page shared the petition, adding, “As big fans of summer, Ocean City, Maryland supports the post-Labor Day start to the school year.”

Hogan has promised a referendum if the new bill is ultimately passed. 

Further reading

Hogan Promises Referendum If School Start Date Reversed By Legislature

02/07/2019 | Hogan Promises Referendum If School Start Date Reversed By Legislature | News Ocean City MD

OCEAN CITY – As predicted, a Senate committee this week approved legislation which could derail the mandate for a post-Labor Day school start, but Gov. Larry Hogan quickly fired back with a promise for a referendum if the bill is ultimately passed.

Democrats revive fight with Hogan over starting school after Labor Day

Democrats revive fight with Hogan over starting school after Labor Day

February 6 The question of who should decide when schools start in Maryland continues to be up for debate in Annapolis. More than two years after Gov. Larry Hogan (R) ordered public schools to begin classes after Labor Day, a Senate panel has approved legislation that would let school districts determine when school starts and ends.

Maryland battle over school start date flares up anew

Maryland battle over school start date flares up anew

CLOSE The start date for Maryland’s public school year has sparked a high-profile battle between Republican Gov. Larry Hogan and Democrats who control the General Assembly. Hogan spoke out forcefully Thursday against a measure to let local school districts decide whether schools start before or after Labor Day.

Thoughts From The Publisher’s Desk – February 8, 2019

02/07/2019 | Thoughts From The Publisher’s Desk – February 8, 2019 | News Ocean City MD

A quality lead on a newspaper piece is important, but one recently in an editorial in The Baltimore Sun takes that concept way too far. An editorial by Deputy Editorial Director Tricia Bishop began with, “Did I ever tell you about the time the governor broke my daughter’s collarbone?”

 

What do you want to see in the 94th Street Plaza?

Kristin
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What do you want to see in the 94th Street Plaza?

Demolition of the long-abandoned Ocean Plaza Mall, formerly sandwiched between Rose’s and ACME in the 94th Street bayside shopping plaza, began around this time last year. Now the ground has been leveled, and in the old mall’s place is just a gravel lot and a chainlink fence. It’s a blank slate.

David Donato, the Senior Vice President of the group that manages the site, Continental Realty Corporation, told the Dispatch in Feb. 2018, “We would love to redevelop this site, but there are some challenges right now… This demolition work is not a signal that something new is imminent.”

Rose’s and ACME remain open, and there hasn’t been any news of what might replace the old mall since its demolition. 

We drove by the site on Wednesday, Feb. 6, and took a quick Facebook Live, asking, “What would you like to see the old mall on 94th street become?” We received 158 comments in response. 

 

The general consensus on Facebook seems to be that no one wants a chain restaurant or hotel (for the most part), and that most people would like to see some kind of entertainment complex or green space.

Some of the responses we really agreed with. Others we chuckled at. Some made us scratch our heads. If future developers want to make the people of Ocean City happy, all they really have to do is post a question on Facebook. “What do you want to see here?”

Here’s what you want to see in this spot:

An aquarium and animal rescue center
A big, wonderful lazy river with swim-up bars
“A 20 story parking lot so people will finally stop complaining about no where to park” (Wouldn’t that be an eyesore, though?)
A new state-of-the-art bowling alley with a pub
A park with walking trails
An indoor/outdoor waterpark
Somewhere to go when it rains, like a Dave & Buster’s or a Sky Zone trampoline park
A new mall 
A flea market (The empty Ocean Plaza Mall actually housed a flea market for a short period)
An indoor playground
A dinner theater like Medieval Times
A sports complex/Rec center
A farmer’s market
A kids’ entertainment center
“Let nature take back the land”
A Rainforest Cafe
Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville
A Trader Joe’s
Another Playland Amusements
An air strip
A petting zoo
Thrashers (maybe a super-sized Thrashers?)
A skating rink
Something like Myrtle Beach’s Barefoot Landing
A big combined Candy Kitchen/Sunsations (wait, was this a joke?)
A Bass Pro Shop
“Jail for H2O people”

Our friends on Facebook are a creative bunch. What would you like to see in the 94th Street Plaza?

Eric Roache’s film “Sublimate” takes an intimate look at healing from trauma

Kristin
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Eric Roache’s film “Sublimate” takes an intimate look at healing from trauma

[TW: This article and embedded video contain references to sexual assault]

The poster for Eric Roache’s “Sublimate,” which stars Morgan Pavey and Timothy Huls.

Eric Roache, a Maryland native and filmmaker currently living in Vietnam, makes movies that convey the central themes of humanity, compassion, and understanding. His latest work, “Sublimate,” imparts these motifs and more, using the medium of film to explore empathy and provide a lens that peers into the worlds and inner lives of other people.

Sublimate, a short film, is just over 15 minutes long. Its synopsis is similarly brief: “A young woman gets unexpected help overcoming a traumatic experience from a mysterious stranger.” But what unfolds within the story is much more than a one-sentence logline might indicate.

The film, which features a woman (played by Morgan Pavey) recovering from a sexual assault, is “not so much about the act of sexual assault, but about healing and empathy,” according to Roache. The story was his way of contributing to the national dialogue that currently surrounds sexual violence in America, a response to the #metoo movement against sexual harassment and assault.

Roache said he wanted to contribute to the conversation in a meaningful way, which is why he sought to make a short film not about the event of a sexual assault and the “he said, she said” that tends to permeate public discourse surrounding it, but about the physical and emotional experiences that survivors endure.

“It was a hard film to write and shoot because it is such a sensitive topic,” he said. “I wanted to get the balance right while trying my best not to alienate anyone watching the film, man or woman.”

Roache is an independent filmmaker who was born and raised in Bowie, MD, and spent many summers and New Years holidays in Ocean City, where much of his family lives today. His filmmaking career began when he 35 years old and living in San Fransisco, CA.

“I always wanted to share my lens on the world by making my own films,” he said. “It just took me a while to get the confidence to do it.”

Roache’s filmmaking focuses on intimate character portraits, because the more you can understand and relate to a character, he says, the more you compassion you can have for them, no matter what they’ve done or experienced. 

In Sublimate, he hopes that viewers who may not have experienced sexual assault firsthand might think about the experience in a new way, and have a more empathetic outlook on how the experience affects victims. 

“We focus so much on judgment and punishment, which is more likely to force people into taking sides and debating the details of what happened,” he said. “My goal with the film was to take the focus off of judgment or defining assault and put it completely on the experience and feelings of the victim.”

Sublimate was shot in San Fransisco over the span of two-and-a-half days, and Roache only had four weeks in the city to plan, cast, produce, and shoot the film before he headed back overseas. The project’s budget was $1,500, with most of the money going toward the actors.

Still photo from “Sublimate.”

Roache recently started writing his first feature film, which he says will be his most personal film to date. 

“The film will be about manhood, and the negative and invalidating effect cultural expectations and perceptions of men can have on men who do not fit neatly into those boxes,” he said.

The upcoming project will delve deeper into the themes of Sublimate, exploring the long-term effects of childhood sexual assault on young boys, and what that means for survivors’ identities as adult men.

Roache has never filmed anything in Ocean City, he said, although he’d like to someday in the future. 

“I was inspired watching the film “Ping Pong Summer,” and the way it captured the feeling I had as a kid visiting OC in the summers.”

“Sublimate” will be screened at the Ocean City Film Festival on Saturday, March 9 at the Fox Gold Coast Theater.

The film is featured in an 11 a.m. block of Social Commentary Short Films, which also includes “For Your Consideration,” about two artists and a viral Harvey Weinstein statue, “Driving Miss Saudi,” inspired by Saudi Arabia lifting its ban on women drivers in 2018, “Trafficked in Paradise,” about the relationship between prostitution and sex trafficking, “Segregation Now, Segregation Tomorrow, Segregation Forever,” a response to the current racial tension in America, and “Final Refrain,” which depicts a dystopian world where art and music are forbidden.

Photos courtesy of Eric Roache.

Ocean City native Emmi Shockley brings short films to the big screen

Kristin
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Ocean City native Emmi Shockley brings short films to the big screen

Emmi Shockley, an Ocean City native and undergrad at  New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, draws on her experiences growing up on the East Coast — from living in Ocean City to studying film in New York City — to make films about self-discovery, identity, and generally figuring life out.

“Don’t Be a Baby,” which will be screened at the Ocean City Film Festival this March, is Shockley’s most recent production, an eight-minute coming-of-age short film that tells the story of a young New Yorker in the throes of a pregnancy scare. 

“Just being in that phase of life where you’re figuring things out, the future and life as an artist, is where [the story] kind of came from,” Shockley said.

Shockley wrote, directed, and starred in the film, which she made as a final project during her junior year at NYU. The film made its school-wide debut at NYU’s New Visions+Voices Festival in November 2018, where it won awards for Audience Choice, Best Directing, Best Lead Actress, and Best Editing.

The pregnancy scare that the main character Billie (played by Shockley) endures becomes an existential crisis, so she calls her long-distance best friend Manny (Cecelia Bonner) for support. 

“Don’t Be a Baby actually had the least to do with my personal life. That character was the furthest from me that I’ve ever written,” Shockley said of Billie, a bohemian young artist who starts to doubt the entirety of her life’s choices and her future as an artist when she goes into crisis mode.

“I tend to pull a lot from my personal experiences. The two scripts I’m working on right now, they’re both based on really my experiences growing up in Ocean City.”

Still from Don’t Be a Baby, starring Emmi Shockley (left) and Cecelia Bonner (right). Photo courtesy of Emmi Shockley.

Shockley’s next project will be her final thesis for NYU: A 20-minute film called “J-1,” to be shot in Ocean City in late spring of 2019.

J-1 is about a young and dissatisfied Ocean City local, Olivia, who falls in love with Mac, an Irish student in Ocean City for the summer on a J-1 Visa, while they’re working together at The Crab Bag. The film follows the couple on their last night together in Ocean City, where Olivia struggles with her decision to leave Ocean City behind and move to Dublin with Mac. 

“I always worked at Shenanigans,” Shockley said. “This is very much inspired by my summers working there and working around J-1 students.”

In addition to The Crab Bag, J-1 will be shot on the Ocean City beach and Boardwalk, and at local businesses throughout Ocean City TBA. The film’s “On the Ground OC Team” will be led by Shockley’s brother Tate, and include local craft services, art assistants, and production assistants.

Emmi Shockley (far right) in Ping Pong Summer (2014).

While she hasn’t filmed much in Ocean City since high school — “We were always running around with our cameras, I did a few shorts that I look back on now that are like, ‘well, you gotta start somewhere,'” she said — Shockley’s screen acting career began in Ocean City, on Michael Tully’s 2014 coming-of-age comedy “Ping Pong Summer.” Shockley played Stacey Summers, the very 80s-neon-clad ex-girlfriend of villainous 17-year-old rich kid Lyle Ace.

Being behind-the-scenes on Ping Pong Summer “was a really positive experience and really encouraging for me to see,” Shockley said. “Just to be fully involved and learning so much, it definitely taught me I could write my own stories and create my own work.”

Shockley also cites Worcester Prep’s media teacher, Nancy Raskauskas, as being a major source of inspiration and support for both her and her brother’s filmmaking dreams.

After she films her J-1 thesis and graduates from college, Shockley hopes to shoot a TV series she’s currently writing. “Thing for Trouble” is a fictionalized series that also draws on her Ocean City upbringing; she describes it as a coming-of-age drama about a group of close friends in a small town during their summer after high school graduation. Each member of the group struggles with her or his own varying issues with their families, identity, and vices.

The series was largely inspired by music, specifically by surf rock California band The Growlers, and Shockley’s memories growing up in a coastal beach vacation town. 

“I always wrote in high school, I kept a lot of journals of my experiences and the wild times we had growing up there,” she said.

“My dream is to shoot it [in Ocean City] sometime in my career, but it could translate to another American beach town, as TV is trickier with locations than independent filmmaking.”

In the meantime, Shockley and her J-1 production team will soon begin fundraising, and then shooting, their final thesis.

Don’t Be a Baby will be screened at the Ocean City Film Festival during the “Locally-Sourced Short Films” block at 1 p.m. on Saturday, March 9, at the Francis Scott Key Family Resort.

Cover image courtesy of Emmi Shockley.

Ocean City Life-Saving Station Museum Celebrates Black History

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Ocean City Life-Saving Station Museum Celebrates Black History

Ocean City, Maryland – (February 5, 2019):  During the month of February, the Museum’s changing exhibit, Archives and Artifacts, focuses on black history within Ocean City, MD. This exhibit is a pictorial history that provides insight into the lives of black men and women living and working in Ocean City from the 1930s through the1960s.

African Americans were often the backbone of many Ocean City iconic hotels and restaurants such as the Commander and Atlantic Hotel. From hotel bellman to the restaurant cooks and waitstaff these men and women were responsible for maintaining many establishments’ distinguished reputations.

While black men and women were an integral part of Ocean City’s hospitality workforce, most hotels did not accommodate them as guests. The Henry Hotel was one of the few places located in Ocean City that would rent to black guests. Due to the narrow lodging options black visitors had to choose from when visiting Ocean City, the Henry Hotel accommodated many famous black entertainers and notable public figures such as Duke Ellington, Cab Calloway, Louis Armstrong, and Maryland State Senator Verda Freeman.

“This display of photographs is a starting point in telling the story of what life was like for African Americans living and working in Ocean City,” said Curator Sandy Hurley. “Ultimately, we hope the exhibit sparks conversation amongst one another about black history on the Delmarva Peninsula.”

“Five Days in August” documentary shows another side of the White Marlin Open

Kristin
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“Five Days in August” documentary shows another side of the White Marlin Open

At the White Marlin Open, Ocean City’s famous annual fishing tournament — the largest billfish tournament in the world, in fact — hundreds of fishermen compete for millions of dollars in prize money over the span of five days in August, where everything is literally on the line. 

The famed WMO has been well-documented over the years by regional and national press, but most of what’s reported is after-the-fact, from the scales at Harbor Island after the boats are docked for the evening, when fish are weighed and prizes are awarded.

Where the action really takes place is up to 100 nautical miles from the Ocean City Inlet in the wide, watery swath of the Atlantic, where lines are baited and teams of fishermen endure long periods dormancy interspersed with “explosions” — 100-plus lb. fish leaping out of the water and testing the crew members’ luck, their skill, and giving them a run for their money.

In the summer of 2017, four-time Emmy nominated filmmaker Nick Ruff and his team at Reflection Pictures set out to document the real excitement and energy that fuels the White Marlin Open: The weigh-ins and the crowds at Harbor Island, but also what happens out at sea where the billfish are reeled in.

Five Days in August (Official Teaser) from Nicholas Ruff on Vimeo. 

A Maryland native, Ruff grew up taking summer vacations to Ocean City and spending time at Harbor Island, where he’d watch the boats come in and the fish hit the scales over the duration of the five-day tournament. One day, talking to his brother, he realized that they didn’t know what fishing in the tournament truly entailed — and they wanted to find out. 

Ruff was surprised to find that, in the 44-year history of the White Marlin Open (now entering its 46th year in 2019), no one had ever sought to make a feature-length documentary about the tournament. 

“Nobody had ever documented the experience from day one to day five, the entire thing,” he said. “People had done little pieces online, but nobody had truly documented the experience of fishing in the tournament.”

After receiving the go-ahead from White Marlin Open founder and president Jim Motsko, Ruff assembled a small team of filmmakers to shoot the documentary. They joined the crews of the Stalker, captained by Steve Moore, and the Marli, captained by Mark Hoos, over the tournament week, August 7 – 11, 2017, and recorded everything they saw during the five days of fishing, from sunrise to sunset.

“The Marli” Captain Mark Hoos in “Five Days in August.”

Ruff had never been offshore fishing before, let alone fishing in the White Marlin Open. He wanted to make the movie from the perspective of someone who hadn’t been out there before, he said, and shot scenes based on what he was genuinely curious about, having expert fishermen and veterans of tournament explain what was happening in real time.

“Seeing a marlin pop out of the water for the very first time stands out in my mind,” he said. “I’d never seen anything like it before, seeing a 70-lb. fish come flying out of the water like a bat. It’s not like anything else you’ve ever seen before when you’re fishing for flounder off the dock in Ocean City.” 

In addition to everything that goes on during the White Marlin Open, “Five Days in August” also features some beautiful shots of Ocean City. “Half of it to me was writing a love letter to Ocean City and showing it off in a really nice way,” Ruff said.

Sportfishing consists of long periods of waiting around for something to bite, but when there is something on the end of the line, there’s a definite adrenaline rush that comes with reeling in something big. That adrenaline rush feeling that’s depicted in the film is something that Ruff thinks all viewers can relate to, even if they aren’t passionate or experienced fishermen. 

“I’ll be out in [Los Angeles] talking to people about it, and they have no idea that people fish for millions of dollars for marlin,” he said. “They’re like, what’s a billfish? The movie is for that person, who has no idea that this even exists.”

“Five Days in August” premiered in Ocean City last August, a year after it was shot. It debuted at the White Marlin Club to a crowd of 200 people, selling out instantly and premiering just a week before the White Marlin Open of 2018.

The documentary will be screened for the public again at the upcoming Ocean City Film Festival at 2 p.m. on Sunday, March 10, at the Carousel Hotel. The screening will mark the first time the film has been shown featuring footage of the 1933 storm that cut the Ocean City Inlet. The footage, which Ruff said has been sitting in storage for years, has never before been seen in high-resolution. 

More information and updates about the documentary can be found on fivedaysinaugust.com. 

Cover image photo by Kirby Sybert. All other photos courtesy of Nick Ruff.

This Month in Ocean City: Events, Things to Do this February

Kristin
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This Month in Ocean City: Events, Things to Do this February

Punxsutawney Phil predicts an early spring for us this year, and even though he’s usually wrong, we’re remaining optimistic that beach weather will be back before we know it. February is typically a very slow month in Ocean City — it’s one of the coldest, the skies are usually very gray, most people aren’t thinking about swimming in the ocean or planning their vacation just yet — but it’s also a time for quiet walks on the beach (the perfect way to celebrate Valentine’s Day in Ocean City) and craft beer. In case you haven’t heard, FeBREWary is Craft Beer Lovers Month in Maryland, and the Love on Tap specials all over the Eastern Shore provide just another excuse to take a weekend trip to Ocean City this month. 

Love is in the salty beach air: A guide to Valentine’s Day in Ocean City

There’s no place that says ‘romance’ quite like a quiet winter beach. Loving long walks on the beach, and listing off that love on your dating profile, is a total cliche, but vacations are all about embracing the cliches. Who doesn’t love long walks on the beach?

 

If you do take advantage of any Love on Tap food and drink specials this month, be aware that Shore Craft Beer is giving away a two-night stay at Ocean City’s new Hyatt Place hotel on the Boardwalk. If you check in on the Shore Craft Beer app under the “Love on Tap 2019” beer challenge at any point this month, you’ll be automatically entered into the contest. The winner will be announced on Feb. 23 at Shore Craft Beer Fest: Love on Tap at Seacrets, FeBREWary’s cornerstone beer festival that gives you yet another excuse to visit Ocean City (as if you need any more!).  

Last month’s news

The Dumser’s saga: It has been a long and winding case between the Town of Ocean City and Nathans Associates, the current owner of the Boardwalk Dumser’s property. In December, the court ruled that the Town had not provided sufficient evidence to prove its ownership of the property, and a motion by the Town asking the court reconsider this decision was recently denied. 

Ocean City denied new decision in Dumser’s site battle

CLOSE The Court of Special Appeals denied Ocean City’s motion to reconsider the court’s decision in the Dumser’s case, a decision that moves the case that moves the issue much closer to its conclusion. The court decided in December that the town had not shown sufficient evidence that demonstrated it owned the building on its boardwalk.

 

Oh, and there was an earthquake: You probably didn’t feel it, but there was a 4.7-magnitude earthquake off the coast on Jan. 15. There was no harm done, and no tsunami succeeding it, either. 

4.7-Magnitude Earthquake Reported Near the Coast of Ocean City – OceanCity.com

On Tuesday night, the U.S. Geological Survey recorded a 4.7-magnitude earthquake off the coast of Ocean City, Maryland at 6:30 p.m. The earthquake was reported about 136 miles off the coast at a depth of about 6.2 miles. USGS said the location was 37.240°N, 73.007°W.

 

This Month in OC

Bury FeBREWary Beer Festival (Feb. 8): Come out on February 8 for Bury Beer Fest, held in the Salisbury University Art Gallery Downtown at 212 W. Main Street in Salisbury. The event will feature unlimited tastings from over a dozen breweries (including an artisanal kombucha brewer), and food by Paul Suplee of Boxcar40, with oysters by Honga Oyster. Food and a tasting glass are included in the price.  The event is sponsored by Salisbury University.

2nd Friday Art Stroll in Berlin (Feb. 8): Take a stroll through downtown Berlin and check out the town’s featured artists in their local shops and restaurants. Each month is unique, but you’ll always find great art! Artists can submit their information for 2nd Friday Art Strolls in Berlin here.

Seaside Boat Show (Feb. 15 – 17): The Seaside Boat Show in Ocean City is the number one indoor boat show on the Eastern Shore, featuring over 350 boats, electronics, dock builders, boat lifts, crafts, canvas, archery display, fishing rods, fishing tackle, paddle boards, artists, and food vendors. All proceeds from this show go to area youth and all Optimists are volunteers. Admission: $10 for Adults; $1 for Children.

Shore Craft Beer Fest: Love on Tap (Feb. 23): ShoreCraftBeer.com and Seacrets, Jamaica USA bring you the fourth annual Love on Tap Shore Craft Beer Festival in Ocean City, MD, offering ONLY LOCAL CRAFT BEER, live music and lots of LOVE ON TAP. 13 local craft breweries, over 30 beers, spectacular views of the bay, and VIP tickets.  VIP ticket holders will get a Seacrets Love on Tap t-shirt included in their ticket purchase price.

Reach the Beach Nationals: Rec and School (Feb. 23 – 24): This Rec and School only national championship is one of the largest Reach the Beach events of the year, located in the Ocean City Convention Center. Dance teams will compete for national championship title. Hosted by American Cheer & Dance Academy – EPIC Brands.

Annual Seaside Boat Show in OC this weekend

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Annual Seaside Boat Show in OC this weekend

The annual Optimist Seaside Boat Show always offers the newest and most popular models on display. Hundreds of boars and scores of dealers and vendors will be featured Friday through Sunday, the third weekend of each February at the Ocean City convention center on 40th Street.

Admission cost is $10 for a day pass or $15 for the entire weekend. Children’s admission is $1.

Many of the dealers and exhibitors will offer special show prices at one of the most popular boat shows on the East Coast. Visitors will have the option to browse an array of sport cruisers, sport fishing, performance and “super boats.” Financing and insurance is available for interested buyers.

“All who buy a ticket get a chance to win the door prize, a pontoon boat and motor. The boat and motor are donated by North Bay Marina and they have done so for over 25 years. This helps make the show a success,” Charles Smith, the show’s media advertising head has said.

Guests attending the 31st annual OC Seaside Boat Show at the 40th Street convention center check out the boats on display.

Exhibitors will be offering marine electronics, trailers, canvas tops, motors, jewelry, art and fishing gear.

The Ocean City-Berlin Optimist Club sponsors the event and is a local affiliate of Optimist International. The Ocean City-Berlin chapter has more than 120 members and is recognized as one of the top clubs in the volunteer organization.

The Ocean City Seaside Boat Show is one of the Optimist Club’s major fundraisers for its children’s programs and all of the funds raised are used for youth activities and community service in Worcester County.

“We say the show works for kids because all proceeds go toward kid’s programs,” Smith said.

In the past, the show has supported Diakonia shelter in West Ocean City, boy scouts, WEXL banquet, Junior Achievement, essay contests, reading programs in schools, drama program at Stephen Decatur High School and scholarships at the three local high schools. It has raised funds for sports and recreation in Ocean City, Berlin, Selbyville, Snow Hill and in other areas, Smith said.

Over the years, the club has given hundreds of scholarships totaling more than $1.5 million to Worcester County students, and it raises money toward other local youth programs, including art, essay and speech contests, he said.

The Seaside Boat Show runs from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday.

For a chance to win a boat, fill out the name, address and phone number tear-off section of the admission ticket and put it in the raffle container.

Visit www.ocboatshow.com for a list of exhibitors. Check out www.ocberlinoptimist.org for more information about the Ocean City-Berlin Optimist Club.

This page was updated to reflect the new dates for 2019  and author attribution was removed. — Ed.

Where to Watch the Super Bowl in Ocean City this Sunday

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Where to Watch the Super Bowl in Ocean City this Sunday

Super Bowl LIII takes place this Sunday at 6:30 p.m., and millions of viewers across the country will be tuning in to see the New England Patriots face off against the Los Angeles Rams. If you’re planning on tuning in from somewhere in Ocean City, Maryland, here’s where you’ll find Super Bowl parties, specials, and bar stools near the beer taps and TV screens to help you cheer your team to victory. 

28th St. Pit & Pub

Although the Baltimore Ravens didn’t make it to the Super Bowl this year, the 28th St. Pit & Pubs still makes for a casual and fun football-watching atmosphere. Take a seat at the bar, order a pint, and let some of the best house-smoked barbeque in town accompany your game day experience. 

45th St. Taphouse

Watch the Super Bowl at the 45th St. Taphouse (particularly if you’re cheering on the Rams) and enjoy their free buffet at halftime. Their Super Bowl Party starts at 6:30 p.m.., and you can bet the beer will be flowing all night long. 

The Original Greene Turtle

Another Ravens bar! The Original Greene Turtle in North Ocean City is the home of Ravens Roost #44, but they’re always a good spot to watch football no matter who’s playing. 

Harpoon Hanna’s

Just north of Ocean City in Fenwick Island, DE, bayfront restaurant Harpoon Hanna’s has been well-known for their super bowl parties over the years. And if the game’s not so exciting for all members of your party, they’ll have beautiful views to look at instead. Win/win.

Pickles Pub

According to the Best of Ocean City’s 2018 results, Pickles Pub is the best sports bar in Ocean City, and this is one of the biggest sporting events of the year. The bar boasts 33 TVs and a big screen, so no matter where you’re seated, you won’t miss a second of the big game. 

Seacrets

The “Super Big Game Party” is in the Seacrets Nite Club, which features a hi-def jumbo screen and 22 HDTVs with stadium sound. Seacrets will be offering specials during the game including $.50 wings,$5.50 Seacrets spirits and crushes, and other drink specials. 

Skye Bar

See the Super Bowl from the sky… The Skye Bar will be featuring Happy Hour and tailgate food and drink specials all day, and will also have various giveaways going on during the game at their Super Bowl Party.

Crabcake Factory Bayside

Plan on watching That Big Game on Sunday? The Crabcake Factory Bayside will feature live music by Christopher Button 2-6 p.m. and football specials during the game. 

Mother’s Cantina

If the Super Bowl Party is happening at your place this year, Mother’s Cantina can cater: They’re offering a special Super Bowl party menu so your cooking is on Sunday is taken care of.

Liquid Assets

Your Super Bowl party drink needs are taken care of at Liquid Assets. Just shop on the Saturday before the game and receive 40% off all retail items including beer, wine and liquor.  

OC360 Eats + Drinks

Local radio station CTG is hosting a Super Bowl Party at OC360, featuring food and drink specials, a free buffet at halftime, and the chance to win a 50-inch flat screen TV.

Ocean City offers community response training to residents this spring

OceanCity.com
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Ocean City offers community response training to residents this spring

Ocean City, Maryland – (January 29, 2019):  Emergency Services personnel from the Town of Ocean City and Worcester County are teaming up to offer a community-wide training course to residents. The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) basic training program will be offered for approximately nine weeks in the spring at the Ocean City Public Safety Building. 

Designed as a grassroots initiative, the CERT program educates community volunteers about disaster preparedness for the hazards that may impact their area. It is specifically structured to allow local and state program managers to have the flexibility to form their programs in the way that best suits their community by training participants in basic disaster response skills. CERT volunteers are trained to respond safely, responsibly and effectively to emergency situations, but they can also support their community in non-emergency events as well.

“The program began in 1993 and has since impacted communities across the country, in all 50 states with over 2,700 local CERT programs nationwide and 600,000 individuals trained in the program,” said Joseph Theobald, Director of Emergency Services for the Town of Ocean City. “CERT offers a consistent, nationwide approach to volunteer training and organization that professional responders can rely on during disaster situations, which allows them to focus on more complex tasks. Through CERT, the capabilities to prepare for, respond to and recover from disasters is enhanced.”

Sessions in the CERT basic training program include Disaster Preparedness, Disaster Fire Safety/Suppression, Disaster Medical Operations I, Disaster Medical Operations II, and Light Search and Rescue/Hazmat, followed by a program wrap-up session, practical work stations, and testing and graduation. 

To register for the training or to learn more, contact Amanda Lewis at 410.723.6616 or email alewis@oceancitymd.gov or visit www.ocmdemergency.com.

Winter Weather Roundup: It’s cold, and snow could be in the forecast

OceanCity.com
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Winter Weather Roundup: It’s cold, and snow could be in the forecast
Expected snowfall map from the nearest local forecast office in Wakefield, VA.

It’s going to be a very cold week across the United States. The National Weather Service has warned that some states could suffer the coldest air in a generation, particularly between Tuesday and Thursday in the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes regions. Chicago, for example, could see temperatures as low as 27 below zero on Wednesday night.

“Back to back cold fronts will slice through the eastern two-thirds of the country to deliver one of the coldest arctic air intrusions in recent memory,” according to the National Weather Service. “From Tuesday through Thursday, expect frigid temperatures and bitterly cold wind chills, likely leading to widespread record lows and low maximum temperatures” throughout the U.S.

Ocean City’s weather forecast, week of 1/28/19

Monday night will be mostly clear, with a low of about 28 degrees.

Tuesday will see wind, rain, and possibly some snow. Expect wind gusts as high as 25 mph during the day, and possible rain after 4 p.m. Tuesday night will see a low around 25, with wind gusts as high as 29 mph, rain and snow before 11 p.m. and a chance of snow between 11 p.m. and 1 a.m. Snowfall will likely amount to less than an inch.

On Wednesday the chance of snow continues, this time a 20% chance after 1 p.m. The skies should be clear and wind gusts could reach up to 30 mph on Wednesday night, with a low of 10 degrees.

Both Thursday and Friday are expected to be sunny, with high temperatures in the mid- to upper-20s and lows between 18 and 23 degrees.

Saturday should be sunny with a high near 37 and Sunday also sunny, with a high reaching 44 degrees. 

Rehoboth Beach, DE, meanwhile, could see snow on Friday night, with a daytime high near 29 and a 40% chance of precipitation, followed by another chance for snow on Monday, Feb. 4. The Virginia beaches will see little, if any, snow this week. 

Stay warm this week: Dress in layers, make sure your heating units are working and pipes are protected, and keep dreaming of warmer, sunnier beach days. 

Ocean Gallery Documentary “Joe KroArt’s World Center” to premiere in Ocean City Feb. 17

Kristin
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Ocean Gallery Documentary “Joe KroArt’s World Center” to premiere in Ocean City Feb. 17
“Joe KroArt’s World Center” will premiere in Ocean City on Feb. 17.

Three local filmmakers have crafted a documentary that depicts not only the anomalous vibrancy of Ocean Gallery World Center, the iconic three-floor art gallery on 2nd Street and the Boardwalk, but of the gallery’s equally-anomalous owner and proprietor, Joe Kroart.

Written, directed, edited, and briefly starred in by filmmakers William Strang-Moya, Trevor Taylor, and Colin Riley, the documentary’s plot summary describes the beachfront gallery as holding “a mystique and madness that in the summer of 2018, three filmmakers set out to capture. An eccentric artist-entrepreneur, a building unlike any other, and a half-century in the making, experience the center of Joe Kroart’s world. Ocean Gallery World Center.”

The film will have its public premiere on Feb. 17 at a venue in Ocean City that is to be determined; It debuted at the Art League of Ocean City on Jan. 25 at a private screening that was held for the movie’s stars, the employees and artisans of Ocean Gallery, and their families.

The documentary covers the history of the business as well as Kroart’s “art cars,” including the iconic Batmobile and the Titanic Car which was sunk to the bottom of the ocean to become part of an artificial reef, but it also focuses on Kroart’s marketing tactics over the years – from sinking said Titanic Car to the bottom of the ocean to riding a bicycle off the gallery’s roof. There wasn’t an actual person on the bike once it was pushed to the Boardwalk down below, but a video was cut to make it look like Kroart had made the jump himself, getting up from the bike and waving his arms after “surviving” the dummy fall.  

“I started working at Ocean Gallery 28 years ago,” said David Schroeder, the gallery’s framer, at the film’s private screening. “It’s been a fun place to work and I wouldn’t have stayed there for half that long if it wasn’t for this man… I’ve seen everything and anything you could imagine this guy doing.”

The screening of the documentary was followed by a question and answer session with the directors, as well as the movie’s cast, which included Schroeder, Kroart, artist Paul DeRemigis Jr., and Nicole McArdle. Kroart’s daughter Laura Kroart also appeared in the documentary to talk about growing up in Ocean Gallery (“my brothers and I had a… different childhood,” she said), and the future of the business. Additionally, former Maryland Senator Jim Mathias and David “Bulldog” Rothner of Seacrets radio station Ocean 98 made guest appearances in the film.

“After the first two shots when the guys were there shooting, we were like, ‘whatever you guys want, we’re here. Come in whenever you want, do whatever you want, it’s an open door,’” Schroeder said. “Hands down this last year was the coolest summer for me… What you guys put together in there was mind-blowing, hilarious.”

“The crazy stuff that you saw [in the movie], that’s all real,” Kroart said.

From left to right: Nicole McArdle, Colin Riley, Joe Kroart, Paul DeRemigis Jr., William Strang-Moya, Trevor Taylor, and David Schroeder at the documentary’s premiere on Jan. 25.

A central message the documentary conveys is the “family” aspect of the business; not only the actual family members who sometimes work together, like Joe and Laura, but the employees who have worked together for decades, playing pranks on one another (particularly on resident artist DeRemigis) and sharing the fruits of their labor in the gallery’s many successes over the years.  

“If you’re successful in something, they enjoy it as much as you do,” DeRemigis said. “When something’s good, [Kroart] is just as happy as I am when I create a new original, a new piece of art. That’s the whole thing, is sharing your success.”

In addition to the public screening on Feb. 17, “Joe Kroart’s World Center” will be shown during the Ocean City Film Festival at 4 p.m. on March 9 at the Francis Scott Key hotel.

 
For transparency’s sake, Strang-Moya is a frequent photographer and videographer of OceanCity.com. He did not pay us to write about his documentary, but he is getting married to the Content Manager of this website, so… No conflicts of interest to see here! 

Ocean City Real Estate: Worcester County Property Sales Report for 2018

Joanna Laslo
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Ocean City Real Estate: Worcester County Property Sales Report for 2018

For those involved in the Ocean City real estate market in 2018, there was much reason to celebrate: All data indicates the sales market was strong throughout Worcester County in the last year.

The following report takes into consideration all properties sold from January 1 – December 31, 2018 in Worcester County, Maryland.

Ocean City beach properties

Condominiums

Ocean City saw 1093 Condos sold in 2018. The lowest sale price for these properties was $69,900, for a property at 407 St Louis Ave. The property was originally listed for $84,000 and sold after 173 days on the market (DOM) on Sept. 21, 2018.

The highest sale price for condos was $1,525,000. Pyramid’s penthouse brought that sum on Dec. 14, 2018 after 393 DOM at an original list price of $1,850,000.

Single Family Homes

There were 170 single family homes sold in 2018, with the lowest sale price of $13,500 for 9837 Elm St. with 335 DOM. Originally the house was listed at $175,000 and was sold on July 12, 2018.

The highest sale price was 5 Pier Walk Mews at $2,000,000 on Dec 14, 2018.  Pier Walk had a list price of $2,380,000 with 190 DOM.

Currently Active Properties for Sale

461 condos are currently being marketed priced between $95,000-$1,299,990.

78 homes are available with an asking price between $215,000-$3,599,000.

Worcester County Properties Outside Ocean City

Condominiums 

57 condos were sold in 2018. The lowest price was for 438 Ocean Parkway, Ocean Pines.  With an asking price of $140,000, the unit sold on May 18, 2018 for $111,074 after 122 DOM.

The highest condo sold was 1104 Points Reach in Ocean Pines.  Points Reach was listed for $469,850 and sold on April 27, 2018 for $450,000 after 674 DOM.

Single Family Homes

719 homes exchanged hands in 2018.  The lowest price was $8,500 for 501 Bonneville Ave., Pocomoke City. That home was on the market for 235 DOM at a list price of $17,900 and sold on June 12, 2018.

12325 St. Martins Neck Rd was the highest sold home. The property was listed for $2,000,000 and sold for $1,600,000 on Nov. 19, 2018 after 120 DOM.

Currently Active Properties for Sale

14 available condos in Worcester County are priced between $99,000-$574,850

There are 336 homes for sale between $12,900-$2,700,000

Summary

As you may have noticed, the market is fairly stripped of available properties. For example, 1150 total condos were sold in 2018, yet there are only 475 on the market at the time of this report.

This also holds true for single-family homes: While 889 homes sold in 2018, there are only 336 currently available for purchase.

Similarly, all of Maryland saw higher sales in 2018. Further, there was a marked increase in the sold prices between 2017 and 2018. 

If you are interested in selling your condo or home with less competition, this may be a good time to list your property on the sales market.

Country singer Joe Diffie to perform in Ocean City this May

OceanCity.com
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Country singer Joe Diffie to perform in Ocean City this May

Among the lineup of recently-announced concerts coming to the Ocean City Performing Arts Center in 2019 is Grammy award winner and country music legend Joe Diffie.

Diffie will perform on Thursday, May 16. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased online at Ticketmaster, by calling 1-800-551-SEAT or by visiting the OC Box Office.

Diffie has 12 #1 hits under his belt, including “Home,” “Pick-up Man,” “Third Rock from the Sun” and “John Deere Green.” The appeal of country music stems in part from its ability to reflect the lives of its listeners, and few artists have celebrated life’s challenges and triumphs with more heartfelt eloquence than Joe Diffie. Whether singing about untarnished love in the enduring hit “John Deere Green,” the perennial appeal of “Pickup Man” or the heartbreak of dreams unrealized in “Ships That Don’t Come In,” Diffie’s songs have continually painted a portrait of real life with all its joy and angst.

Opening for Diffie will be Maryland native Jackson Dean, winner of the Maryland Music Award for Best Songwriter and Best New Breakout Artist who recently gained recognition for his rendition of the National Anthem. His upcoming album will be released this spring.

Picking the Perfect Wedding Rings in Ocean City

Jennifer Sabini Evans
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Picking the Perfect Wedding Rings in Ocean City

The engagement ring was only the start of the ring-shopping fiasco, but there are a few things I’ve gleaned from the experience as of late that might make the process of choosing a wedding band (two wedding bands, for that matter) a little bit easier.

Trying on rings at a shop in Easton.

1. Conduct some preliminary research and develop a rough idea of what you’re looking for.
I went into the wedding band process blindly, thinking I’d walk into a jeweler’s, I’d be shown a selection of the most-trendy-yet-traditional wedding rings that happened to be exactly what my subconscious mind envisioned, and I’d walk out in 10 minutes with a velvet box in my pocket. That didn’t happen.

The experience seemed all the more overwhelming when I realized I didn’t really know what I wanted. And so I left, knowing that I’d wasted some time but ready to do more research and figure out what it was I actually did want.

Like you’ve probably been encouraged to do for every aspect and minute detail of the wedding, making a Pinterest board of your dream rings isn’t a bad idea, if “Pinning” is your thing. If it’s not your thing, there’s no shame in Googling wedding bands and browsing the selections of local jewelers’ online stores, and taking screenshots of the styles you like the most.

The Knot suggests you begin the process asking yourself a few questions about the style you want, questions that include, “Are you envisioning a simple band or one with embellishments? Do you want your wedding ring to be the same metal as your engagement ring? Do you think you and your partner’s rings should match?” This is a good place to start.

Additionally, it’s important to keep in mind what your engagement ring looks like, if you plan on wearing the two rings together and on the same finger. I initially envisioned a yellow-gold wedding band, but when I slid one on over my engagement ring, it completely clashed with the engagement ring’s white gold makeup. It helped that my fiance preferred the white-gold band, anyway. So a white-gold wedding band for me it is.

Finally, consider your lifestyle. A few months ago, Instagram promoted Enso rings in my feed, and I actually bought a few — not for the wedding, but just to have some cute, durable rings on hand. Later they were promoted to me again, this time marketed as the perfect wedding band that you could wear to run, climb, work, swim, cook, shower, hold a baby, deliver a baby, save a cat from a tree, rescue someone’s grandmother from a burning building, perform emergency CPR, whatever your chaotic life entails, without risking ring avulsion or degloving and amputation. If this sounds like you, consider a silicone ring today!

2. Develop the budget.
The average wedding ring costs $1,000. Obviously the aforementioned silicone ring is going to cost less than a precious metal engraved with gemstones, but some also opt to use a more durable stand-in ring when traveling or engaging in strenuous activity, while wearing the “actual” ring during more restful periods of life.

How much you spend on your wedding bands depends on how much you can spend + how much you actually want to spend. I would encourage any couple to not be shamed if they do not want to spend thousands of dollars on a ring — or, hey, to not be shamed if they want to put 85% of the wedding budget toward the rings (as long as the guests are well-fed at the reception, that is).

Someone asked on a wedding-related forum, “How much should wedding bands cost?” Maybe they asked because they didn’t know if they were overpaying or not, but it’s more likely that they asked because self-consciousness apparently runs rampant in the world of weddings, specifically on how much money you’re spending, or not spending, on one. My favorite reply was, “Mine was $50 (etsy) and his was $20. The bands are simple and weren’t a priority for us since we don’t really wear them. We spent that money on things that mattered to us like the catering and our savings for a house.”

Once you know what kind of ring you want, set a budget and find something you like that falls within that budget. Simple!

3. Consider a local jeweler.
When my fiance was working for a nearby TV station, he and a reporter did a story on a little shop called Jewelry by Cottage Studio in Cambridge, MD. He brought me back a “meditation ring,” handmade with a thick silver band and two thinner gold-colored bands around it that can be spun around the thicker band, and I wear it every day. Ever since we first got engaged, I’ve wanted to visit the studio and buy their wedding bands that were handcrafted right in Cambridge.

We walked into the studio one evening in January, 30 minutes before closing, and were informed by the very kind owner that soon they’d be closing forever. They were moving to Colorado and weren’t making any new rings in the store, or offering any more classes where crafty customers could learn how to do it yourself. That was a sad moment, but the owner did recommend another independent jewelry store, Shearer the Jeweler in downtown Easton, MD, a shop that I really do recommend.

Park Place Jewelers is another jewelry store, with several locations in Ocean City, MD, that offers a variety of wedding bands, many of them beach- and Ocean City-themed.

Kokkinos Creative Jewelers is also local to Ocean City, and they pride themselves on being the only J.A.-certified bench jeweler in Maryland.

I do think it’s cool to have a band that’s custom-made by a local jeweler rather than a large chain, if only because the idea of a locally-crafted wedding band seems more special and unique (even though at their simplest, many wedding rings are just plain metal circles, anyway). Of course, the couple should always put their desires first, whether that means getting a friend to weld a couple of bands in their basement (now that’s local) or picking out the most expensive rings that Kay Jewelers has to offer. It’s not only your wedding but it’s your marriage, and hopefully you’ll be wearing this ring for the rest of your material life.

Unless, of course, you lose it down the drain. It happens.

Top 5 places to stop for a snack in Berlin, Maryland

Kristin
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Top 5 places to stop for a snack in Berlin, Maryland

Berlin, Maryland isn’t a seasonal town. Its shops, restaurants, and hotels that line the streets of the charming downtown stay open year-round, and locals make a habit of knowing where to be and when: When to see a new gallery exhibit or partake in a Murder Mystery at The Globe, when Burley Oak is releasing a much-anticipated new beer or showcasing live music from an up-and-coming local band, when a beloved wine will be on sale at Pitt Stop. It’s a beautiful and historically-rich town to visit (and “The Coolest,” some may say), but it’s not bad living in Berlin, either. There’s always something fun happening all year round, and always something good to eat and drink no matter the palate or price-range.

The Globe

The Globe Berlin
House grilled cheese and chips at The Globe.

The Globe is a restaurant and bar on Broad Street in Berlin, located inside a historic century-old building that was once home to Berlin’s Globe Theater. Staying true to its cinematic and artistic roots, the second floor of the restaurant now houses an art gallery where local artists exhibit their works every month, and a traditional theater stage is front-and-center in the downstairs dining room. Diners can often catch classic films screened in the dining room, allowing them to fawn over Cary Grant and enjoy a classic and delicious American meal simultaneously.

The Globe serves as a hub for good food, art, and entertainment. Murder Mystery Dinners take place in the upstairs art gallery and lounge throughout the year, and area actors and attendees of the dinner both become detectives out to solve the latest, always original and always new, whodunnit. There’s also trivia on Wednesday nights, where wisened regulars and naive newcomers compete over three rounds of questions throughout the night, and only the smartest of the bunch (at least on that particular night) take home prizes donated by Burley Oak.

Editor’s Note: At Least We Tried is currently accepting applications for trivia team members, particularly those who know anything about sports, cars, and funk music. Email the author of this article for details.

Rayne’s Reef

Rayne's Reef sandwich
Lunch at Rayne’s Reef.

You already traveled a century back in time at The Globe, now fast-forward just 30 years or so before returning to the 21st century and stop for an ice cream soda at Rayne’s Reef Soda Fountain & Grill. 

The atmosphere inside the street-corner soda fountain is 1950s-inspired retro and sparks images of saddle shoes and The Fonz, who you’d expect to saunter in snapping his fingers at any moment, but like The Globe, Rayne’s Reef has actually been a staple of downtown Berlin for over 100 years. It has a different kind of historic charm than its neighbor, featuring mid-century diner decor mixed in with more modern Polaroids tacked to the walls and a movie poster of Julia Roberts in Runaway Bride (famously shot in Berlin, where one scene actually takes place inside Rayne’s).

Grab a stool at the Formica-topped bar and order a Reuben, a milkshake or a hearty breakfast of pancakes, eggs, and scrapple on the side. 

The Atlantic Hotel

Atlantic Hotel Berlin
Outside the Atlantic Hotel.

The historic Atlantic Hotel has graced Berlin with its Victorian-era beauty and charm since 1895. It was that year that a tragic fire tore through downtown and reduced many buildings to piles of ash; after the damage was surveyed, the Mayor and Council decreed that any new structures be built out of brick, resulting in the Atlantic Hotel’s sturdy brick facade that’s remained for over 120 years since on Main Street.

The rooms in the hotel today maintain the tradition of the Victorian style, furnished with authentic antique decor and photographs. Those who opt not to lodge in the hotel can still dine in the Atlantic Hotel Bistro Bar, otherwise referred to as “Drummer’s Cafe” after the drummers, or salespeople, who arrived at the hotel by train and horse in the late 19th century to try their luck in Berlin. The restaurant boasts fine dining, a vintage bar well-stocked with fine wines and craft beers, and a front porch that’s perfect for enjoying a meal in the fresh air and people-watching in downtown Berlin. 

Burley Oak

Time for a beer at Burley.

Although it’s not quite as old as its local dining-and-drinking counterparts — Burley Oak Brewing Co. opened its doors for the first time in 2011 — the one and only craft brewery in Berlin is as significant to the town in the present-day as its centuries-old neighbors. And of course, because it’s Berlin, there is some history behind the building that houses the taproom as well. It used to be a cooperage that produced oak barrels, which were then filled with produce and seafood and shipped to Baltimore, in the 20th century. 

Because Burley Oak values local ingredients and supplies and sustainable business practices, the brewery helps power the local economy and has been a major catalyst in establishing Berlin as a tourism destination for craft beer lovers, of which there are many in Maryland and in neighboring states. Drinking a beer from Burley just feels good, because of their commitment to local craftsmen and farmers and because of the unique variety of flavors and beer styles on tap. For instance, an upcoming can release includes a mango blood orange fruited sour ale, a double IPA with wildflower honey, and a stout made with Gnarly Waffles from the Burley Cafe, to name just a few. The brewery’s well worth a stop for anyone even relatively near Berlin, from the most renowned craft beer critics to those who are brand-new to the world of craft beer. 

Pitt Stop Beer & Wine

Shelves upon shelves of beer at Pitt Stop.

You can make a quick pit stop for beer, wine, or spirits on your way home or back to your hotel, or you can spend hours lounging in the Pitt Stop’s cozy and comfortable upstairs bar. Either is a good choice and comes with reasonable prices and a welcoming atmosphere, whether you’re running in to pick up a bottle of wine or meeting friends for a cold craft beer, at Pitt Stop Beer and Wine, just off Worcester Highway in Berlin. 

Pitt Stop is more than the average liquor store, which makes it a noteworthy place in town to stop for a drink, and that’s true even if Pitt Stop isn’t 100+ years old. Really, this time. The store is located in what used to be a car dealership, but you wouldn’t know it from the inside, where twinkly lights, paisley couches, and homey furnishings made from recycled materials make it easy for patrons to get comfortable and lose track of time while they sip and shop. There’s always something on sale, and that usually includes a local craft beer. There are complimentary tastings every week, a daily happy hour at the bar, and inside the 7,000 square foot building, over 850 spirits, 850 beers, and 750 wines. 

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