Another great summer at the Ocean City Music Pier opens this week with Brandon Tomasello joining the Ocean City Pops for the season opener on Sunday and a cappella favorites Straight No Chaser opening the Boardwalk Summer Concert Series on Monday.
The Pops will kick off the 2026 season with a “One Man Rat Pack” show at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, June 28. The “Rat Pack” will come to musical life as Ocean City favorite Brandon Tomasello expertly presents the timeless and unmistakable sounds of the Sinatra era. Come hear the best of Frank, Dean and Sammy as Tomasello sings and swings with the Pops.
Tickets are on sale online at oceancityvacation.com/box-office or in-person at the Ocean City Music Pier Box Office and at welcome centers in town.
The nine-member Straight No Chaser blends harmonies, hits and humor in their shows, and they have been a popular act in previous visits to the Music Pier. Their 2026 show is billed as a “Beach Bash.” The show is at 7 p.m. June 29. Tickets are available at etix.com and at the Music Pier Box Office.
Auto show and all-girls skate party
More than 300 vintage vehicles will be on display on Saturday, June 27, during the annual Antique Auto Show. The cars will be on the Tabernacle grounds at Sixth Street and Asbury Avenue from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., then move up to the Boardwalk for a parade after 2 p.m. For more information, visit jerseycape.aaca.com.
Join the fun for an all-girls Chica De Mayo skate park party at the Ocean City Skate Park on Sunday, June 28. Fun starts at 10 a.m. at the Skate Park, and the event is free to attend. For more details, call 609-525-9304.
Weekly family events start in July
A full summer of weekly events will begin in July. The lineup this year will include:
- Beach Exercise – Yoga (8 a.m. at 6th Street Beach) and Family Nights on the Boardwalk (7-9 p.m.) on Mondays.
- Beach Walks (9 a.m. at 59th Street and Central), Fantastic Tuesdays (10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Asbury Avenue) and Mummers Nights (7-9 p.m. on the Boardwalk) on Tuesdays.
- Beach Exercise – Pilates Yoga (8 a.m. at 6th Street Beach), Beach Walks (6:30 p.m. at 59th Street and Central), and Family Nights on the Boardwalk (7-9 p.m.) on Wednesdays.
- Market Days (10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Asbury Avenue) and Mummers Nights (7-9 p.m. on the Boardwalk) on Thursdays.
- Beach Exercise – Low Impact (8 a.m. at 6th Street Beach) and Walking Club (8 a.m. on the Boardwalk from the Music Pier) on Fridays.
New weekly events this year include the “America 250: Lights Over Ocean City Drone Show” on Mondays and the 34th Street Sandcastle Park Summer Entertainment Series on Wednesdays.
Ocean City will celebrate the 250th anniversary of our nation this summer with a weekly patriotic drone show over the beach and Boardwalk south of Sixth Street. The show will feature hundreds of drones lighting up the sky and creating animations that salute America. The 15-minute shows will be held after dusk on seven Mondays from July 6 through Aug. 17. The weekly event is made possible through a $25,000 grant from the Cape May County Board of Commissioners, sponsorships from Boardwalk merchants and city funding.
The 34th Street Series will be from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. July 8 through Aug. 19. Events will feature themed entertainment, live performers, face painters and balloon makers.
Tickets on sale for Night in Venice viewing area at Bayside Center
Ticket sales will open at 10 a.m. Wednesday (June 24) for a special viewing area at the Bayside Center for Night in Venice.
The Bayside Center at 520 Bay Ave. will be open with family entertainment and activities for the 2026 Night in Venice boat parade on July 25. The viewing area will include a picnic spot and snack stand, face-painting, a DJ, and bleacher seating. Ticket prices will be $6 for children (12-and-under) and $10 for adults (with service fees included). The area will remain open and provide a perfect spot to view a spectacular fireworks display after the boat parade.
The boat parade starts at 6:30 p.m. and the fireworks display will go off at approximately 9:30 p.m. Gates open at 4:30 p.m. Entertainment will be provided until the parade arrives and will resume until the fireworks start. No alcohol is permitted, and no parking will be available, but the free shuttle service will be available from remote parking at the Ocean City Municipal Airport, Ocean City Community Center and Shelter Road parking area. Admission is limited, so don’t wait to make your purchase.
Tickets will be available online at oceancityvacation.com/boxoffice, by calling 609-399-6111 or in-person at the Music Pier Box Office, City Hall, the Welcome Center on the Ninth Street causeway, and the 46th Street Information Center.
Presenting sponsors for 2026 Night in Venice are ACME Markets and OCNJ Watersports.
Registration open for new Miss Night in Venice pageants
Night in Venice will include two new pageants this year. Little Miss Night in Venice and Junior Miss Night in Venice will make their debut with a crowning at the Music Pier on July 15, and the queens and their courts will preside over the Night In Venice boat parade on July 25. These events will be fun, free and open to anyone ages 8 to 11 (Little Miss NIV) or ages 12 to 15 (Junior Miss NIV). “It’s exciting to see our annual Night in Venice celebration continue to grow with new elements each year,” Mayor Jay Gillian said. Registration is now open at ocnj.recdesk.com.
Fourth of July events
Ocean City is planning a great lineup of special events leading up to and throughout Fourth of July Weekend as our nation celebrates its 250th anniversary.
- July 1 — Freckle Contest: Registration is free and begins at 5:30 p.m. in front of the Music Pier. The contest starts at 6 p.m.
- July 2 — Sand Sculpting Contest: Open to kids, teens, adults and families! Registration is free and begins at 9 a.m. at the Sixth Street Beach. Judging takes place by 11 a.m.
- July 2 — Ocean City Pops Free Patriotic Drone Show and Outdoor Concert: The Ocean City Pops will perform a free outdoor concert at 8 p.m. followed by a dazzling patriotic drone show presented by the Friends of the Pops organization above the beach and Boardwalk. Carey Stadium (Sixth Street and Boardwalk). Our legendary local orchestra will perform patriotic classics and audience favorites in honor of our nation’s birthday. Bring a beach chair or blanket to sit on the field, and there will be seating available in the bleachers.
- July 3 — Broadway Under the Stars!: This outdoor show at Carey Stadium will be performed by the Vince League, a superstar band led by Pops Maestro Vince Lee. Hear the best of Broadway under the stars! Ocean City favorites Shannon Cochran and David Gordon-Johnson will take you on a whirlwind tour of some of the biggest hits of modern Broadway. The concert will be at Carey Stadium, just off the boardwalk between 5th and 6th streets at 8 p.m. Tickets available at oceancityvacation.com/boxoffice.
- July 4 — Bike Parade: Sponsored by the Gardens Civic Association Registration 9 a.m. at the Longport Bridge parking lot. The parade begins at 10 a.m.
- July 4 — Bike Parade: Sponsored by the South OC Improvement Association, City of Ocean City and the Chamber of Commerce. Registration 9 a.m. at 40th Street and Asbury Avenue. The parade begins at 10 a.m.
- July 4 — Bike Parade: Sponsored by the Riviera Neighborhood. Registration at 11:30 a.m. at the Leyte Lane Park. The parade begins at noon.
- July 4 — Fourth of July Celebration: Kite-flying competition at 7 p.m. adjacent to Music Pier. A spectacular fireworks display will top off the evening at 9 p.m. The fireworks will be launched from a barge off the moored off the beach at Ninth Street.
- July 4 — Ocean City Pops Free Outdoor Concert: The Ocean City Pops will perform a free outdoor concert at 8 p.m. at Carey Stadium. Our legendary local orchestra will perform patriotic classics and audience favorites in honor of our nation’s birthday. Bring a beach chair or blanket to sit on the field, and there will be seating available in the bleachers.
- July 5 — Direct from Sweden: The Music of ABBA Performing with the OC POPs: Some of Sweden’s most experienced and talented singers and musicians will deliver the closest ABBA experience you’ll ever get alongside the Ocean City Pops Orchestra. 7:30 p.m. at the Music Pier. Tickets available at oceancityvacation.com/boxoffice.
- July 6 — Bruce in the USA: The World’s #1 Tribute to Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band!: The concert begins at 7:00 p.m. at the Ocean City Music Pier. Tickets available at etix.com or the Music Pier Box Office.
