Girls Weekend to Make a Splash in Ocean City
By Ryan Geraci
The Fourth Annual Ocean City Girls Weekend will make a return this April 5th thru the 7th with a multitude of events, classes, and sales happening exclusively in Ocean City, NJ. For anyone looking for a great excuse to come down to the shore early, look no further. This year’s Girls Weekend is slated to be the biggest one yet.
The weekend-long event will start Friday night (April 5th) with the Fashion Show Kickoff at 7 p.m. taking place at Glazed Over Studios (704 Asbury Avenue). All clothes being modeled at the fashion show will be from Ocean City’s retail shops such as Ta-Dah!, 7th Street Surf Shop, Bohemian Mama and more. Local men and women, including members of the City Council will serve as models for the fashion show. Be sure to bring your appetite because the fashion show will be catered by several local restaurants. For those who purchase a ticket at the fashion show there will be door prizes and chances to win awesome gift baskets from notable stores including Making Waves and Little Egg Harbor Soap Company. Be sure to purchase your $20 ticket in advance to get free goodie bags at the door.
“I am currently putting together 200 ‘swag bags’ for the fashion show” Danielle St. Clair of Making Waves said which will consist of coupons and items from Making Waves. It is sure to be a fun, lighthearted event with plenty of food and lots of prizes.
The Fashion Show Kickoff will only be the beginning of this weekend-long event. A multitude of Ocean City retail stores have announced their desire to have exclusive deals that will only last during Girls Weekend. Ta-Dah!, a local favorite clothing store, plans to have free surprise giveaways for people who come into the store that weekend and they might even do a raffle for some gift cards.
Little Egg Harbor Soap Company plans to have 20% off all items in their Ocean City store for the entirety of the weekend. In addition, they will also be contributing $75 value gift basket to be won at the Fashion Show Kickoff. Making Waves will also have 20% off all items in store as well as racks with items priced at 50% and 75% off. Be sure to stop into all your favorite Ocean City stores this Girls Weekend to take advantage of the limited-time deals.
If your looking to make a weekend out of this event, The Flanders Hotel, among several other hotels and bed & breakfasts, are offering special Girls Weekend Hotel & Spa Packages. The historic Flanders Hotel is currently offering a package that includes an overnight stay on Friday, April 5th or Saturday, April 6th in one of their Deluxe 1-bedroom suites as well as breakfast at Emily’s Ocean Room Café and a 30-minute spa treatment among others listed in their flyer.
“We are certainly getting an increase in calls this year” said Peter Voudouris of Flanders.
“This year is already looking better than last year” explained Gina Matero, who does marketing for The Flanders Hotel. Both Matero and Voudouris are excited for the weekend and added that guests will be granted both an early check-in and a late check-out. The Flanders Girls Weekend Package will be $149 per person.
If you are looking to expand your creative horizons, then this Girls Weekend will offer a plethora of specially priced demos and crafts at various locations in Ocean City. From learning needlepoint at Scrim Discovery Needlepoint (924 Haven Avenue) to creating your own martini glass or terrarium at Coastal Consign & Design (1123 Asbury Avenue) there will be so many opportunities for anyone looking to learn a unique new trade and have fun doing it. Many places will require advanced booking so make reservations with your party before they fill up.
This Girls Weekend also aims to promote wellness by partnering with local fitness studios and businesses. The Sneaker Shop (704 Asbury Avenue) will host a “Girls Weekend 5K Fun Run” that will start on Asbury, to the boardwalk and then back to their store. Yoga Ginger (717 Asbury Avenue) will be offering free Yoga April 6th & 7th at 9 a.m. as well as a Sole Active Clothing Pop-Up shop on April 6th in their studio.
For more information and a detailed schedule for this weekend long event, visit the Girls Weekend Blog on www.oceancityvacation.com , visit their Facebook event page, or call (609)399-1412.
Ryan Gerace is a recent graduate from La Salle University with a Master’s in Strategic Communication. Born and raised in Linwood, NJ. He enjoys cooking, baking, and community events.
