There’s nothing quite like being out on the water. Whether you’re fishing or boating the rush is still the same. It’s no wonder why the two activities are important to Ocean City. Here are some photos from local fishing and boating excursions. Grab your family and give fishing or boating a try.
Out on the Water Photos
Our Ocean City Kids Photos
The family friendly resort of Ocean City Md brings thousands of families to the resort each year. Of course, the beach is a great place for kids to play and use up all their energy, but the whole town is geared towards family fun, whether its family friendly restaurants and hotels, activities such as miniature golf, rides and water parks, or just the sprinkling of play grounds dotted around the resort. Kids in Ocean City can have the time of their lives. Check out our Ocean City kids photos.
Why You Should Be Visiting Assateague Photos (12 photos)
Assateague Island is home to its famous wild ponies. Take a stroll along the beach and you might just run into one. Here are a few photos from our own adventures on the island. Don’t stop here though; experience the island’s beauty for yourself.
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Submit Your PicturesTake a Sip of Craft Beer Photos
Craft beer has recently taken off in Ocean City Md. It is where “world class beer meets the world class beauty of the Eastern Shore” There are 7 craft beer breweries in and around the resort of Ocean City Md, with another 10 just a short drive away. Some of these breweries are just that, a brewery creating and selling beer. Others have small restaurants attached, and others are almost as famous for their food as they are for their beer! Hotels are realizing the growing demand for craft beer, and have unique craft beer packages available, where they will team you up with a special shuttle service which will drive you safely from brewery to brewery for your tastings. This is an experience which can’t be matched, and better still, available all year round in the Resort. Try visiting all the local breweries to see which of their beers is your favorite. Check out these Craft Beer Photos to give you an idea of the choice available.
The Boardwalk at Night Photos
Nothing is quite as exciting on your summer vacation in Ocean City, MD than the Boardwalk by night. Here are photos of rides, lights, and the people and places that make your trip to Ocean City and the Ocean City Boardwalk so special.
Tour of Inca Ruins in Berlin, MD
If you’re looking for a gift for an adventurous friend or you’ve been struck with wanderlust, Inca Ruins can help. Located in Berlin, the shop specializes in handmade Peruvian clothing, jewelry, accessories, and more–hand-selected by the store’s owners. There’s something for everyone. You can even outfit your dog in the high quality organic cotton and wool items the store offers.
Even better, every purchase made benefits someone in the local community or back in Peru. Purchases help provide fair wages, meals, and educational books for communities in Peru. An Inca Ruins Basket Fundraiser is running through September 11th to help support the Worcester County Arts Council and its community programs. Click here for more information
Inca Ruins is located on Pitts Street in Berlin, MD. Just look for a furry alpaca out front. A competition is being held to name the alpaca. The winner will receive an alpaca-themed gift. Visit the store by July 4th to submit an entry, no purchase necessary. In the meantime, like and follow Inca Ruins on Facebook and Instagram.
14 Reasons to Try Parasailing Photos
Ocean City Md is beautiful from the ground, but have you ever thought about soaring high above the resort to get a birds eye view? Parasailing will allow you that treat, as you are towed behind a boat hundreds of feet above the ocean to take in the panoramic views of the ocean, town and bay for a unique perspective. This thrilling ride can be enjoyed by the whole family, as these parasailing photos show.
This week in OC: June 19-25, 2015
After a huge turnout for last week’s OC Air Show, Ocean City is primed for yet another action-packed weekend. Regardless if you’re joining us for Father’s Day, the Maryland State Fireman’s Convention, or your family vacation, Ocean City has plenty to keep you entertained.
Here are this week’s highlights:
– Sunday is Dad’s day and what better way to celebrate than by taking him to Seacrets for the first ever Jah-Bacon Brew Fest? Featuring a bacon-centric menu, great beers from local breweries, and a bacon eating contest, the Jah-Bacon Brew Fest is the hottest ticket in town this Father’s Day.
– If dad prefers wings over bacon, then the ‘King of the Wings’ contest at Marina Deck is the better option for your Father’s Day festivities. The event lasts from 1-6pm and features wings from 14 local restaurants. For just $10 you can sample them all. The event will include guest judges, prizes for the top wings, and happy hour pricing all day long.
– With summer well underway, the Town of Ocean City is bringing back free weekly events. This week catch OC Beach lights on the beach at N. Division St. on Sunday from 9-10:30pm, watch The Lego Movie on the beach at 27th St. on Monday, or compete in the Family Beach Olympics on 27th St on Tuesday at 6pm.
Finally, firemen from across the state converge on Ocean City next week for the annual Maryland State Fireman’s Association Convention. With multiple days of events originating from the Convention Center and the iconic Fireman’s parade on Wednesday at 1pm, Ocean City is certainly the place to be for the men and women who keep Maryland safe from fires.
For full entertainment and event listings for this coming week, or check out the OC Today Appearing Live and Out & About pages. And don’t forget to join our online community by visiting our forum, signing up for our newsletter, and following us on social media at on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest for breaking news, breathtaking photos, daily updates, and weekly giveaways from your online authority for everything Ocean City.
Jet Away on these Jet Ski Photos
Jet skiing in Ocean City Md is a thrill! We are surrounded by water with the Atlantic Ocean and the Assawoman Bay, so there is plenty of space to let yourself go. Feel the water spraying up into your face as you navigate the Bay waters to discover islands and waterways you never new were there. Take a ride on the bayside and Jet Away on these Jet Ski Photos.
15 Reasons to Rent a Pontoon Boat Photos
Ocean City is surrounded by water, so what better way to explore it than by water? There are many ways to do this, but one of the most family friendly, and relaxing way is by pontoon boat. Explore the bayside, with its canals and islands, try crabbing or fishing, or just relax with your family and discover a very different view of Ocean City Md. 15 Reasons to Rent a Pontoon Boat Photos may just inspire you to take a ride on the bayside.
First Jah-Bacon Brew Fest this Sunday at Seacrets
(June 19, 2015) Bacon lovers rejoice and bring your dads to the first ever Jah-Bacon Brew Fest at Seacrets on Sunday from 12-4 p.m. at the beach stage.
Attendees 21 and older will have the chance to try a selection of bacon dishes while tasting local craft brews from Evolution, Fin City, Dogfish Head, Duclaw, Burley Oak and Fordham and Dominion.
Sample bacon wrapped meatballs, chocolate-covered bacon, bacon wrapped pretzel dogs, bacon pizzas and salad.
“It’s Father’s Day, what a great day for it. I am bringing my dad,” said Seacrets marketing manager, Jackie Miller. “You can hang out on the beach, drink a beer and eat bacon. Dads love that, who doesn’t?”
For $30 in advance or $35 at the door, attendees will receive 10 drink tickets for craft beer tastings (five pints), a souvenir pint glass and as much bacon-inspired fare as desired.
Additional beer tickets can be purchased and cost $5 for four.
Activities will add some fun to the event including cornhole, a big Jenga and bottle and toss, Miller said.
DJ BK will host a bacon-eating contest while wearing a bacon-theme tuxedo starting at 1:30 p.m. with the introduction of contenders.
“It’s hilarious. He will totally rock it and it’s going to be really fun,” Miller said. “The whole day will be very entertaining.”
Each of the 10 contestants will be given 100 strips of bacon, which is about two pounds, to consume in five minutes. The winner will be whoever finishes first or eats the most bacon.
The bacon-eating champion will receive a pair of tickets to Slightly Stoopid, Dirty Heads & the Expendables at Pier Six Pavilion Thursday, July 16, a Seacrets Gold Card, Seacrets Spirits, a case of Seacrets Tropicale, Ocean 98 and Seacrets swag and a ticket for the chance to win 20 years of bacon.
Alex & Shilo and Bad Since Breakfast will be entertaining the crowd throughout the day.
“Come out to taste beers and crazy bacon foods,” Miller said.
The event came about when Miller and Justin Grimes, an assistant general manager at Seacrets, decided “to create a fun event where people can relax and enjoy some food and drinks.”
To purchase tickets for Jah-Bacon Brew Fest on June 21, visit seacretsboutique.com/tickets or stop by Seacrets on 49th Street.
Marina Deck presents first ‘King of the Wings’ contest
(June 19, 2015) Marina Deck, on Dorchester Street in downtown Ocean City, will present its first “King of the Wings” contest featuring wings from approximately 14 local restaurants, this Sunday, June 21, from 1-4 p.m.
For $10, attendees can try all the contestants’ wings and vote for their favorite.
As of earlier this week, Marina Deck, M.R. Ducks, Pour House, Bull on the Beach, Hooters, Burley Oak, Dogfish Head, Captain’s Galley, Harborside, Shark on the Harbor, Greene Turtle, Dunes Manor, Longboard Café and Pickles Pub are slated to participate in the competition.
“Besides having a good time and hanging out tasting the wings, it’s for a good cause,” said Marina Deck owner Dennis Kalchthaler. “We are doing it for the kids and you can’t beat the [bayside] view.”
Two winners will receive a more than 3-foot-tall trophy for making the tastiest wings. A public winner will be determined by event attendees and a people’s choice winner will be chosen by a guest panel of five judges.
Celebrity judges include Ocean City Mayor Rick Meehan, Big Al Reno from Ocean 98.1, DJ Wookie from OC 104, Leah from 93.5 the Beach and Albie Dee from OC 104. In addition, DJ Wax will be hosting, emceeing and providing the tunes all day.
Marina Deck’s regular happy hour and Sunday specials will be going on with $4 Fireball shots, $4.99 orange crushes, $2 domestic drafts, $1.75 Natural Lights, $3 Captain Booty shooters, $2.50 domestic bottles, $2.50 Landshark drafts, and $1 off all other drinks.
The event will have door prizes, a 50/50 raffle and auctions including rounds of golf, haircuts, a free manicure from Robin Walter Salon, gift certificates from OC Pet Spa, Brass Balls, Decatur Diner, Smokers Pit, Taylor’s Restaurant and the Berlin Coffee House, among others.
All proceeds will benefit the Cedar Chapel Special School in Snow Hill.
“We all want to have a good time, but the main focus is on the kids and raising money for the charity,” Kalchthaler said.
In addition, Marina Deck is one of the first restaurants in Ocean City to install solar panels on its roof.
The project has been planned since February and last week, 53 solar panels were placed and hooked up during a three-day period, Kalchthaler said.
“Hug a tree, we are saving money and it looks cool,” he added.
Bicycles restored for international student workers
(June 19, 2015) A free classified ad in Ocean City Today has helped several members of Ocean City Baptist Church collect used bicycles to restore for international student workers.
“Over the last three years it has grown and this is our biggest year by far,” said Gary Short, a member of the church. “This is the first year we have received a lot of help.”
Since its inception, the group has restored more than 200 bikes and donated them to international student workers who come to Ocean City for the summer.
Ocean City Baptist Church on Division Street offers free dinner to international students Mondays from 6-8 p.m.
“That’s how we make the connection. It’s all a first come, first serve,” Short said. “The first week is a big one. They trickle in and we gave away 60.”
Last week, the group donated 30 bikes, and on Monday, 15 bikes were given to international student workers.
“We didn’t know where to start and did not have any money set aside. Putting an ad in the classified helped get the word out and we get calls from people in the community to donate bikes to us,” Short said.
Short explained how he can put air in the tires, tighten seats and lubricate chains.
“There are guys who are really good with break cables and multi-speed tune ups. They can get the gears working right,” he added.
Short and his crew restore the donated bikes in their barns and garages.
“Thank you to the whole area and community as a whole. From Selbyville to Girdletree, anywhere the newspaper reaches we have received calls and so many bikes have been donated,” he said.
To donate an old bicycle, call Short at 410-726-1051.
MSFA’s annual convention and conference, June 20-26
(June 19, 2015) Everyone is invited to join the thousands of firefighters for demonstrations, exhibits, a parade and events during the 123rd annual Convention and Conference of the Maryland State Fireman’s Association and Ladies Auxiliary, June 20-26.
“We have family-oriented activities for firefighters and their families and events just for kids. It’s kind of nice. The numbers fluctuate on the schools being out and we encourage families,” said Ron Siarnicki, convention chair. “What better place than Ocean City? Bring your family to the beach.”
The convention is free to the public and takes place at the Roland E. Powell Convention Center on 40th Street. There will be a variety of local vendors selling merchandise as well as informational and awards presentations all surrounding firefighting in this state.
Close to 30,000 come to town for the event each year, Siarnicki said.
Several events highlight the annual MSFA gathering and one of the most popular is the parade along Baltimore Avenue. Around 600 units will take part in the procession on Wednesday, June 24, traveling from 16th to 33rd Street starting at 1 p.m.
Other big events include a family night at Jolly Roger Amusement Park, Purse and Bag Bingo, a prayer breakfast and the annual MSFA Golf Tournament.
MSFA Night at Jolly Roger takes place Monday, June 22 from 6:30-11 p.m. at the amusement park on 30th Street. There will be music, food and unlimited rides, rounds of miniature golf and trips around the go cart track during the event. For the amusement park and food the cost is $22 per person. A family of four for both is $75. Visit www.msfa.org for additional packages and to reserve tickets in advance.
“We are trying to build our convention into a family event. It’s a chance for our state’s firefighters to receive some training and have an awesome Ocean City experience with their families,” Siarnicki said.
Purse and Bag Bingo also takes place Monday. Doors open at the convention center Bayfront Ballroom at 5 p.m. for the games starting at 6 p.m. Admission is $22 in advance and $25 at the door, which includes six face cards for 20 games as well as a door prize ticket. Coach, Vera Bradley, Thirty-One and Longaberger will be featured.
The prayer breakfast takes place Wednesday, June 24 at 7:30 a.m. in the convention center’s Bayfront Ballroom with Chaplain Preston “TJ” Lay of the Laurel, Del. Volunteer Fire Company as the guest speaker. Admission cost is $13 and includes an all-you-can-eat country breakfast with scrambled eggs, pancakes, bacon, sausage, biscuits, fresh fruit and more.
The 23rd annual MFSA Golf Tournament takes place next Friday, June 26, at Eagles Landing Golf Course in Berlin. Tee time is 7 a.m. and most spots are filled. Complimentary beer will be provided on the course, prizes and a continental breakfast for $75.
“We are really excited. Mayor Rick Meehan is our celebrity playing in the event and it’s a great fundraiser for programs throughout the state,” Siarnicki said.
To celebrate the arrival of firefighters in town, the Ocean City FOOLS — Fraternal Order of Leatherheads Society International for advanced firefighter training — will present its sixth annual block party to benefit the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation. Cowboy Coast Country Bar and Steak House on 17th Street and Philadelphia Avenue will host the event on Tuesday, June 23 from 6:30 p.m. to close.
A $10 entry fee includes a souvenir mug, food and drink specials throughout the night and live music. There will also be a 50/50 raffle and a mechanical bull-riding contest with prizes awarded to the person who stays on the longest. The Franklin Square Live Band will perform and DJ Wax will provide the tunes.
The Ocean City FOOLS keep the party going in the morning with its first 8 a.m. 5K run and walk on the Boardwalk at North Division Street.
“It’s open to the public with a minimal registration fee to benefit the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation,” Siarnicki said. “It’s intended to be a healthy walk, no competition. A nice activity for the whole family on the Boardwalk.”
The MSFA Ladies Auxiliary will host a Salty Coast paint party on Thursday, June 25 from 2-4 p.m. in the Ocean City convention center room 208. Purchase tickets for $45 at www.tickled-paint.com or call 410-713-2013.
All presentations, educational classes and awards ceremonies during the MSFA conference are open to the public, Siarnicki said.
“For firefighters, they are exposed to great training opportunities that are fire specific and the public gets to see what our fire service does each day to keep everyone safe,” he added.
Awards will be presented on Tuesday, June 23, starting at 8:30 a.m. in the Bayfront Ballroom.
There will be presentations throughout the event, such as Liz Marks keynote presentation on Monday, “Don’t Text N Drive 4 Liz Marks,” where attendees will hear her devastating story of driving into the back of a truck near St. Michaels while texting. Other talks include “Why Sprinklered Buildings Burn” on Monday and Wednesday or “Prevention Through Testing and Research” on Sunday and Monday.
The Convention Committee and the Ocean City FOOLS have teamed up to provide not only classroom sessions, but hands-on training opportunities as well.
“This year, there are a lot more hands-on live evolutions where firefighters are not just getting a tutorial, but they are doing something and using their skills,” Siarnicki said.
A four-hour “Making the Cut” Sunday class will go over the tools for venting and flat roofs. On Tuesday, an eight-hour “Firefighter Survival Class” teaches techniques on how to help a down firefighter.
“We hope people will come out and watch the parade or take advantage of the activities,” Siarnicki said. “We are truly happy to be in Ocean City. What a great town to be in.”
Convention headquarters will again be the Quality Inn Boardwalk on 17th Street, providing an easy drive or ride on Ocean City’s public bus to the MSFA conference. There will be a free shuttle service from the bus stops and parking lot to the front door of the convention center.
For more information on the events activities, visit www.msfa.org to download a full schedule of MSFA Convention and Conference events taking place June 20-26 at the Roland E. Powell Convention Center on 40th Street.
Weekend airs it out
(June 19, 2015) If the bumper-to-bumper traffic and shoulder-to-shoulder beach didn’t tip you off about how unusually full Ocean City was last weekend was, consider the following phrase: “world’s highest-grossing Hooters.”
Growth in visitorship leading up to the Ocean City Air Show meant that guests at the Boardwalk Hooters and Fifth Street ate more wings and things and drank more beverages than anyone else at any of the 460 Hooters in the United States and all the others on the planet, outside of Vegas.
“Of all the stores across the world, with the exception of the Hooters Casino in Las Vegas, the Boardwalk location was the number-one in sales last week,” said Matt Ortt, director of operations for both the Boardwalk and West Ocean City franchises.
“It actually wasn’t our biggest week ever, but it just happened to be bigger than all the other Hooters,” Ortt said. “I feel Ocean City this year has been a lot stronger, as far as the crowds and the business.”
This past weekend, it showed, with much of the resort filled to capacity.
“Hotel-wise, we did sell out,” said Susan Jones, executive director of the Ocean City Hotel-Motel-Restaurant Association. “All our member hotels were booked and we started to give out non-member numbers to people who called.”
At Ropewalk, the restaurant that just recently took over the old Fresco’s space between 82nd and 83rd Streets, there was a half-hour wait for dinner on Friday and Saturday.
This isn’t unusual anywhere in Ocean City, but considering that it was only Ropewalk’s third weekend open, its first weekend serving a full menu, and the fact that it has 600 seats to fill, it was quite a feat.
“We don’t even have our sign up yet,” said co-owner Chris Reda. “A half-hour wait is good. I’m sure other places had much longer waits, but for our first fully-operational weekend, I can’t complain.”
Not only has the air show become a valuable economic boost for Ocean City, it’s also become a key marker for the beginning-of-the-end of the “senior week” phenomenon, when the resort is packed with high school and college graduates whose demeanor often leaves much to be desired.
“There is definitely a group that can get out of control. You have to stay on your toes,” Ortt said. “The week leading up to the air show was just about all June-bugs at the Boardwalk location. But once the air show people came into town, the June-bugs kind of faded into the distance because it brought in so many more families.”
Although most businesses expect the influx of recent graduates to last through next weekend, the air show provides a welcome boost of less volatile customers.
“There definitely have been a lot of stories of destruction with the seniors this year,” Jones said. “I have some members that say they may not rent to anyone under a certain age again, because of the destruction of the rooms, and they only pull in a few thousand dollars from it anyway.”
Law enforcement activity was still high this past weekend, on par with the weekend before.
Officer-initiated service over the Thursday-through-Sunday of this past week, June 11 to 14, totaled 1,672 actions, compared to 1,740 over the same four-day span a week earlier.
Citizen calls actually climbed to 850 during the four-day air show practice and performance period, versus 688 the week prior. Arrests also grew by about a third, from 90 over June 4 to 7 to 120 this past weekend, including 32 drug arrests.
Although the city’s demoflush formula, which measures population based on wastewater, is imprecise, flows in the resort peaked last weekend around 28 percent higher than the flow peak from the previous weekend.
Escape Room challenges visitors
(June 19, 2015) A zombie episode of “The Big Bang Theory” put interactive “escape room” games on national television, and now Ocean City visitors and residents can join in the fun — finding clues and solving puzzles — before time runs out.
Escape Room is on 118th Street in the OC Square shopping center and features three rooms to solve: Pirate’s Treasure, the Boss’s Office and the Quiet Room.
“It’s a new and unique experience for Ocean City,” Escape Room owner, Linar Yagudin, said. “You unlock detective abilities and use brain power to escape the room and break the code. Get together with friends to solve the mystery and have adventures you will never forget.”
In the Pirate’s Treasure room, participants have one hour to find the pirate’s hidden treasure in his haunted cabin and solve the mystery of the wreckage before it sinks below the ocean.
Players are tasked with finding the boss, who escaped with everyone’s life savings, and hacking his bank account to return the money before it’s gone forever in the second challenge room, Boss’s Office.
In the Quiet Room, participants are transported to an abandoned asylum looking for an antidote to the “sickness” before it takes over after 45 minutes.
“Every room has a personal touch and they are all different,” Yagudin said. “We make up all the puzzles for the game and we have many ideas ahead.”
People are having a hard time getting out of the rooms without clues, he added. Throughout the game, employees will send clues to participants.
“It’s like being a detective with critical thinking and problem solving,” Yagudin said. “You’re thinking outside the box and using logic to figure out how you will use items in the room.”
Each room can hold six or more players, which means participants may be uncovering clues and finding keys to unlock answers with strangers. All items in the room could be a clue except for pictures or decorations hanging on the walls.
Escape Rooms have been used as a team-building exercise, a host for special events, birthday parties, work events and even bachelorette and bachelor parties.
A friend of Yagudin experienced an Escape Room in Pittsburg, which made him think it would be a cool idea for Ocean City. They started renovations in January and the interactive escape game opened up quietly on Memorial Day weekend to decent crowds.
“Come play the brain game rain or shine,” Yagudin said. “It’s an adult, family-friendly game where you meet new people and get a full experience.”
To keep the rooms fresh and new, two rooms will change at the end of summer with holiday themes likely to appear. The Escape Room will stay open until at least Winterfest ends, Yagudin said.
The Pirate’s Treasure Room and the Boss’s Office costs $26 on the weekdays and $28 on the weekends.
The Quiet Room is $24 on the weekdays and $26 on the weekends.
Participants are asked to arrive 15 minutes before start time and reservations can be changed up to 24 hours before arrival. Expect to spend about 90 minutes at Escape Room for orientation, debriefing and playtime.
During the summer, Escape Room is open every day 11:30 a.m. to midnight with the last session starting at 11 p.m.
Visit www.escapetheroomoc.com for more information or to purchase a slot to play.
