From Winterfest by the Sea on Nov. 16 through the First Night and First Day celebrations on Dec. 31 and Jan. 1, Ocean City has a full calendar of family-friendly events lined up.

The fifth annual Winterfest By The Sea at the Ocean City Civic Center on Nov. 16 kicks things off. The event will include craft vendors, food vendors and a strolling Santa will be present. Shopping hours are 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The “Earlier than the Bird” Downtown Shopping Extravaganza has become a fun tradition for holiday shoppers in Ocean City. The event is always held on the Saturday before Thanksgiving and encourages folks to shop in their pajamas for early-bird specials at stores on downtown Asbury Avenue. Check it out from 8 a.m. to noon on Nov. 23.

Free Horse and Carriage Rides along decorated downtown Asbury Avenue also begin on Nov. 23. The are available on weekends (including Nov. 23, 29, 30 and Dec. 1, 7, 8, 14, 15, 21, 22) from noon to 3 p.m. with boarding at Sixth Street.

The Ocean City Fire Department will be ready in case Santa makes his usual landing on the roof of City Hall at 5 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 29. While others are crowding the malls on Black Friday, you can enjoy the old-fashioned Christmas in the Downtown – “Our Miracle on Asbury Avenue.” Join the downtown merchants and Chamber in shopping, caroling and other entertainment. 

Tickets for the Ocean City Pops Holiday Show on Saturday, Nov. 30 at the Ocean City Music Pier are on sale now. The annual holiday show will feature the Ocean City Pops orchestra performing classic Christmas song favorites and modern hits, led by conductor Vince Lee. Tickets range from $25 to $30. Starting at 10 a.m. Friday, Oct. 4, they will be available online at //oceancityvacation.com/boxoffice, in person at any Ocean City welcome center or by calling 609-399-6111. 

There will be a couple options for getting photos with Santa. He will be available for Photos with Santa in a Lifeguard Boat from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Nov. 30 and Dec. 1, 7, 8, 14, 15, 21, 22 at the Ocean City Music Pier. On the same dates, Santa also will be available to visit with kids from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. in the Downtown at Mark Soifer Park (9^th Street and Asbury Avenue).

The annual Christmas Parade is scheduled for 6 p.m. Friday, Dec. 6 on Asbury Avenue from 6th Street to 11th Street. 

Another holiday tradition is the Train Show at the Ocean City Music Pier. The free event features model train displays 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 7 and 8. 

Festive Fridays are on tap for Dec. 13 and 20. Join downtown Ocean City merchants as they celebrate the holiday season with shopping specials.  Enjoy horse-and-carriage rides from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. through the downtown adorned with thousands of Christmas lights and shop for some for the best gifts this holiday season. Two pickup locations include the Tabernacle (Sixth and Asbury) and OceanFirst Bank (10^th and Asbury).

Tickets are on sale now for a new holiday trolley tour geared toward families with young children. The Jolly Trolley Lights Tour on Dec. 17 will include a tour of Ocean City homes decorated for the holidays, a photo with Santa and a Christmas craft project. Participants are encouraged to dress warmly in their pajamas and enjoy hot cocoa and other treats. Two tours are scheduled: 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Dec. 17 and 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Dec. 17, and they will be staged from the Ocean City Senior Center at 1735 Simpson Avenue. Space is limited, so get your tickets ($30 per person) now by visiting ocnj.us/jollytrolley. 

It’s not too early to think about celebrating the arrival of 2025 at Ocean City’s family-friendly First Night New Year’s Eve celebration. All-inclusive admission buttons are on sale now.

Tickets are available: 

• Online: firstnightocnj.com
• By phone: 609-399-6111.
• At the City Hall Welcome Center at 861 Asbury Avenue (9th Street entrance): 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily
• At the Roy Gillian Welcome Center (9th Street causeway): 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Mondays to Fridays, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
• At the 46th Street Welcome Center (4500 block of West Avenue): 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday through Monday.

First Night offers more than 70 entertain programs at 20 different venues throughout town on Dec. 31. One $20 button is good for all programs. Don’t wait, because button sales are limited at the price goes up to $25 on Dec. 1.

Headline entertainment at the Ocean City Music Pier this year will include a tribute to the music of the Eagles and the “Yacht Rock Gold Experience.” The return of perennial favorites like outdoor ice-skating, a magic show, a mentalist, a ventriloquist, the Harlem Wizards, Japanese drummers and a variety of other shows also highlight the entertainment lineup. The Ocean City Pops (with a Rodgers & Hammerstein Extravaganza), Yellow Brick Road: A Tribute to Elton John, the Cape Shore Chorale, a dueling pianos performance, and the Sensational Soul Cruisers are among the additional musical entertainment options.

New this year will be a drone light show in the sky over Carey Stadium synced to music. As always, the festivities will end with a fireworks display to ring in the new year at midnight.

First Night’s 2025 sponsors include the Ocean City Regional Chamber of Commerce, the Cape May County Division of Culture and Heritage, McMahon Insurance Agency, Ocean City Free Public Library, Uncle Bill’s Pancake House and Atlantic City Electric.

The festivities will continue with First Day events on Jan. 1, 2025, and registration is now open for the First Day 5K running race on the boardwalk: ocnj.us/OCNJ-FIRST-DAY-RUN/WALK. 

Complete information on First Night is available at firstnightocnj.com.