What’s Happening in Ocean City

OCEAN CITY – What’s happening in Ocean City? Well, there are a couple of things…
August 3: The Miss Crustacean Hermit Crab Beauty Pageant, an event eagerly anticipated by crabs and their best friends alike, is set for 1 p.m., Wed., Aug. 3rd at the 6th St. Beach. Entry is free. Registration starts at noon.
The contest is sanctioned by NASCRAB, the National Assn. of Crab Activities at the Beach, an Ocean City Organization. Several years ago Ocean City was contacted by Virginia Beach, Va. asking permission to run a similar event and was granted a franchise.
Past winners of Miss Crustacean include Crabopatra, an exotic Egyptian Crab, Copa Crabana, a sultry show girl crustacean, Crab Salad, Taxi Crab and Pirates of the Crabibbean.
The winner waddles down a flower bedecked runway while adoring throngs sing “Here It Comes, Miss Crustacean.” She is also awarded the Coveted, Cucumber Rind Cup, a loving cup with a cuke stuck in the middle. A cucumber provides a year’s supply of food for a hermit crab, according to some nutritionists.
Miss Crustacean has been a Question on Jeopardy, named one of the ten outstanding events in the country by U.S. News and World Report, been featured on London TV, translated into Japanese, German, Spanish and other languages and discussed throughout the world on radio.
It has been featured in the Wall Street Journal and many Sunday supplements and magazines plus the Nickelodeon TV network, NBC, ABC, and CBS TV.
The Pageant is followed by the King of Klutz Hermit Crab Races. Crabathletes compete on an eight foot plywood oval.
The world record time of 3.6 seconds was set by Hermie 30 years ago. Hermie has long since departed to that Great Hermit Tree Crab Sandbar in the Sky, but his record remains as an inspiration to all contestants. A bugler from the Ocean City Pops Orchestra sounds the call to the starting gate for every heat. A cake dish cover serves as the starting gate and all heats are timed.
Crabathletes should register at 1 p.m. Entry is free.
Celebrity guests include Suzanne Muldowney who sings “Here It Comes Miss Crustacean” and Harry the Horse, aka Ron Mac Closkey who is race announcer.
All Crabs are tested for Searoids prior to the race and disqualified if they are found to be searoidish. For Information, contact the Public Relations Office, 609-525-9300.
August 3: Miss Crustacean is preceded by a Sand Sculpting Contest starting 9 a.m. on the 6th Street Beach. Entry is free. There are divisions for all age groups and family. Call 609-525-9300.
August 5-7: The 49th Annual Boardwalk Art Show is set for Fri.-Sun., Aug. 5-7. Show hours have been extended and are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday. The following categories have also been added Pottery, Handmade Furniture and Sculpture in addition to Oil/Acrylics. The Ocean City Arts Center presents the show. Director Rosalyn Lifshin says that now artists will be able to exhibit in front of thousands of evening visitors.
The exhibit has traditionally been a rare opportunity for visitors to purchase quality artwork without gallery commissions. Applications are available for artists through Aug. 3. Visit the Arts Center’s website www.oceancityartscenter.org, call 609-399-7628 or email rozi@oceancityartscenter.org.
Aug. 4-6: The popular Art of Surfing Exhibition is set for the Music Pier with hours 7-10 p.m. on Thurs., and Fri. and Sat., noon till 10 p.m. Entry is free for this family event featuring original art from surfing’s biggest names, plus live music and an opportunity to meet famous surfing artists from across the country. For information, call 609-744-3229.
At the Library 17th and Simpson: The outstanding Jazz Concerts continue on Sun., July 31 with the Music of Dave Brubeck from 2 p.m. to 3:15 p.m. in the Senior Center Multi-Purpose Room. Use 18th St. entrance to enter facility. Featured will be the Michael Pedicin Quartet/ the Brubeck Project that features two of Brubeck’s current sidemen, Randy Jones, drums and Michael Moore, bass. They will play and discuss the music of Brubeck who has brought his music to fans for over a half century. Pedicin, also an alumnus of the Brubeck Quartet, will be joined by pianist, Dean Schneider.
On July 29 at 7 p.m., Buckets Blakes of the Harlem Globetrotters will visit the Library’s Main Lecture Hall, N110 (use 17th St. entrance) for a book reading, discussion and autograph session. Program is appropriate for ages 6 and up.
Other coming events: July 28:The Fabulous Grease Band entertains at the Music Pier, Boardwalk and Moorlyn Terrace at 7 p.m. doors open 6 p.m. Tickets are $20 at the door. Benefits Upper Twp. Rescue Squad, call 609-628-2476.
July 31: The Ocean City Pops present Our Three Tenors, Taylor Stayton, Cody Austin and Jeffrey Halili at the Music Pier, 8 p.m., Tickets are $20 at Music Pier Box Office, 609-525-9248.
July 31: Joe Martin, composer pianist and Sue Martin, vocalist (the voice of Ariel, Disney Stage version from Austin, Texas) perform at the Tabernacle, 550 Wesley Ave., at 7 p.m., admission free. Call 609-399-1915 or visit http://www.OCTabernacle.org.
Aug. 1: The Marshal Tucker Band, a major Southern Rock group, performs at the Music Pier, 8 p.m., tickets $30 at Music Pier Box Office, 609-525-9248.
Aug. 3: School House Live Rock, 10:30 a.m. at Music Pier, presented by the Ocean City Theatre Company. The Emmy Award winning cartoon comes alive on the Pier stage with professional performers. Tickets $9 at Music Pier Box Office.
Aug. 3: The Ocean City Pops presents Remembering Romberg with Highlights from the Student Prince, Desert Song, and more. Concert Operetta Theater joins the Pops. Showtime 8 p.m. at Music Pier. Tickets $15/$10 at Pier Box Office or on line at www.ocnj.us.
Aug. 7: The Ocean City Pops presents An Evening of Song! Featuring singers Colleen Daly and Dominic Inferrera with highlights from La Traviata, Man of La Mancha, Puccini and Richard Rodgers. Tickets $15/$10 at Music Pier Box Office.
Aug. 7: Ken Medema, composer, Pianist, vocalist entertainer from San Francisco performs at Ocean City Tabernacle, plus Tabernacle Choir, 7 p.m., 5th and Wesley Ave. Admission, free. Call 609-399-1915.
Tickets are now on sale for the Friends of the Ocean City Pops Summer Luncheon, Thurs., Aug. 18 at Greate Bay Country Club in Somers Point. Summer Serenade is the theme featuring a program popular tenor Jeffrey Halili, who has recently performed with the opera companies in New York, San Antonio and Nashville. He will also perform with the Ocean City Pops on July 31 as one of My Three Tenors.
Doors open 11:30 a.m., tickets are $40, available at the Music Pier before Pops Concerts and during intermission until Aug. 10. Contact Marie Knight, 609-204-2060.