The 62nd annual Boardwalk Art Show will be held Friday through Sunday (Aug. 1-3) on the Boardwalk between Eighth Street and 13th Street.
Artists from throughout the region will exhibit and sell their works. The show will feature fine art, including oils, acrylics, watercolors, drawings, mixed media and photography. There is something for everyone at the show, and it’s a great opportunity to start or increase your art collection. Hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. Awards are given to the top entries in the show.
The event is sponsored by the Ocean City Arts Center and made possible by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts. For further information, call the Ocean City Arts Center at 609-399-7628 or visit www.oceancityartscenter.org.
The celebration of the arts will include the 24th annual Art of Surfing Festival — Thursday to Saturday (July 31 to Aug. 2) at the Ocean City Music Pier.
This annual art festival is an event featuring original surf-related artwork, locally shaped boards and a chance to meet artists from across the region. It also features classic surfboards, memorabilia and live music. Admission is free to the show 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday (July 31) and noon to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday (Aug. 1 and 2). For more information on this year’s show and vendors, visit facebook.com/artofsurfingfestival.
Ocean City Pops features boy bands and blockbusters
At 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 30, the Ocean City Pops will pay tribute to timeless male harmonies from the Beach Boys to the Bee Gees and everyone in between in a show titled “Guy Groups to Boy Bands.”
The Pops will return at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 3 with “Hollywood Blockbusters,” featuring a grand tour of the biggest hits from the Silver Screen.
The shows are at the Ocean City Music Pier. For tickets, visit oceancityvacation.com/boxoffice, call 609-399-6111 or stop by the Music Pier Box Office.
Cars and Coffee on tap for Saturday
The 10th annual Cars and Coffee from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 2 will combine two of everybody’s favorite things. More than 100 classic and unique cars will be on display on the grounds of the Ocean City Tabernacle at 550 Wesley Ave. Admission is free, and the rain date is Aug. 9.
Weekly happenings
Ocean City’s “Wacky But Not Tacky” series of Wacky Wednesdays continues at 10:30 a.m. July 30 at the Ocean City Music Pier with soft-pretzel sculpting. No advance registration is required for this free family event, but participation is limited to the first 150 to enter.
The popular weekly Farmers Market on the grounds of the Ocean City Tabernacle is open 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. every Wednesday. The market features the best of fresh produce from local farms in the region, along with a variety of craft vendors.
Family Nights on July 28 and 30 will include stilt walkers, magicians, favorite characters and more set up at different spots between Eighth Street and 12th Street on the Ocean City Boardwalk. Family Nights run 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. every Monday and Wednesday through the summer.
Mummers Nights on July 29 and 31 will feature string bands strutting the Boardwalk between Sixth Street and 14th Street. Mummers Nights run 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. every Tuesday and Thursday through the summer.
Downtown Asbury Avenue will feature entertainment, face-painters, balloon sculptors and more from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday (July 29) for Funtastic Tuesday and 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday (July 31) for Market Days.
Tickets on sale for ‘Footloose’ Aug. 5 to 14
The Greater Ocean City Theatre Company and the Ocean City Pops Orchestra will team up this summer to present the musical “Footloose” with eight performances scheduled from Aug. 5 to Aug. 14 at the Bill and Nancy Hughes Performing Arts Center in Ocean City (within Ocean City High School at Sixth Street and Atlantic Avenue).
“Footloose” was a groundbreaking film released in 1984. Starring a relatively unknown Kevin Bacon, the film popularized dancing like never before. Its unforgettable soundtrack, featuring artists such as Kenny Loggins, Bonnie Tyler and Sammy Hagar, perfectly complemented the expressive and emotional dance scenes. Now, “Footloose” has made the transition from film to Broadway stage and is currently playing at the Hughes Performing Arts Center, presented by the City of Ocean City, the Ocean City Theatre Company and the Ocean City Pops Orchestra. With music from its Oscar- and Tony-nominated score and with dynamic new songs, “Footloose” blends the best of the iconic movie and the Broadway show.
The show runs on August 5, 6, 8, 12, 13 and 14 at 7:30 p.m., and on Aug. 7 and 14 at 2 p.m. For tickets ($27 to $32), visit oceancityvacation.com/boxoffice, call 609-399-6111 or stop by the Music Pier Box Office.
Registration open for 115th annual Baby Parade
The 115th annual Baby Parade in Ocean City is set for 10:30 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025 and registration is now open.
All families with children ages 10 and under are invited to participate. Bands, performing groups and commercial floats are also encouraged to join in the fun.
Complete information and registration parade are available at ocnj.us/BabyParade.
