Ocean City’s 2018 Calendar of Events Taking Shape

OCEAN CITY — The shortest days of the year are behind us, and that means summer’s on the way. It’s not too early to think about planning for some fun in Ocean City this year. Here’s an early look at just a few key dates for 2018.
• March 24 and 31: Easter falls on April 1 this year and the Great Egg Hunts on the beach are set for late March.
• April 6 to 8: Downtown Asbury Avenue welcomes another Girls Weekend.
• April 14: Humor and nostalgia join forces again as the Doo Dah Parade and Mr. Mature Pageant go off on a Saturday afternoon and evening.
• April 28-29: The Sports Memorabilia Show is a new event for the Ocean City Music Pier.
• May 5: The Spring Block Party takes place on its traditional date on the first Saturday of May.
• May 12: Come find out if summer is coming early at Martin Z. Mollusk Day.
• June 13-16: The Miss New Jersey Pageant returns to the Ocean City Music Pier.
• June 28-30: The OC-Con Comic Book and Memorabilia Show moves to June this year.
• July 28: Mark your calendars for the highlight of the summer, Night in Venice.
• August 9: The 109th annual Baby Parade travels the Ocean City Boardwalk.
• Sept. 15-16: The Ocean City Airport Festival and the Boardwalk Aerobatic Airshow will be joined again by an evening Parachute Pyrotechnic Show.
• Oct. 6: The Fall Block Party includes and evening fireworks display over the boardwalk.
• Oct. 19-20: Another new event brings the Porsche 356 East Coast Holiday to the Ocean City Boardwalk.
Coming Up In Jan.:
Grace Zambelli Exhibit (Jan. 6-31):
Artist Grace Zambelli brings her acrylic and pastels to the Ocean City Arts Center (1735 Simpson Avenue within the Ocean City Community Center) in January. A “Meet the Artist” reception, free and open to the public, will be held at 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 12.
Soldier Cry: The Stage Play (Jan. 7):
Shows are 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. at the Ocean City Music Pier. Come see Shore Medical Center employees and war veterans on stage to benefit the SMC Cancer Center. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased at the City Hall Welcome Center or at the door on the day of the show.
Cape Shore Chorale Epiphany Concert (Jan. 7):
3 p.m. at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, 2998 Bay Ave. Directed by Scott J. Breiner, the group will perform selections from J.S. Bach’s Cantata No. 80, “Ein Festeburg 1st Unser Gott,” as well as other seasonal music. Visit www.capeshorechorale.org.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Ceremony (Jan. 13):
Begins at 1 p.m. at the Bill and Nancy Hughes Performing Arts Center, located at the Ocean City High School, Sixth Street and Atlantic Avenue. Please use Sixth Street entrance. Immediately following the ceremony, stay and enjoy a soul food dinner. A southern style comfort menu to include fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, corn bread, collard greens and more! For more information, please call 609-399-6111.
Madagascar – A Musical Adventure:
Based on the hit DreamWorks animated film, this musical adaptation follows Alex the Lion, Marty the Zebra, Melman the Giraffe, Gloria the Hip Hip Hippo as they escape from their home in New York’s Central Park Zoo and find themselves on an unexpected journey to Madagascar. All show for this Ocean City Theatre Company production are free. Times are 10:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 13; and 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 14 at the Chris Maloney Lecture Hall at the Ocean City Free Public Library.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service (Jan. 15):
Contribute to a morning of service where you can participate in a citywide cleanup from 9 a.m. to noon. Sign-up, supply distribution and lunch will take place at the Howard S. Stainton Senior Center, located in the Community Center, 17th Street and Simpson Avenue. To participate or for more information, please call 609-399-6111.