Downtown merchants have been celebrating “Festive Fridays” all month, and the final edition is scheduled for this Friday, Dec. 20. Christmas and the start of Hanukkah fall on the same day this year, and the event provides a great opportunity to pick up some last-minute gifts. Festive Friday includes extended shopping hours, strolling carolers, and free horse-and-carriage rides from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. (with boarding at Sixth Street and 10^th Street). Your favorite downtown restaurants will be serving breakfast at dinner. Dress in your pajamas, join the fun, and look for Santa to pop in. 

Free horse-drawn carriage rides will also be available along decorated downtown Asbury Avenue from noon to 3 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday (Dec. 21 and 22) with boarding at Sixth Street.

There will be more opportunities for children to visit with Santa. He’ll be available for photos in an OCBP lifeguard boat from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday (Dec. 21 and 22) at the Ocean City Music Pier. He’ll visit with children from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Saturday and Sunday (Dec. 21 and 22) at Mark Soifer Park (9^th Street and Asbury Avenue).

BUY YOUR ADMISSION BUTTONS FOR FIRST NIGHT OCEAN CITY

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. Attendance is limited, so purchase your buttons now, while they last.

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 $25 button is good for all programs. 

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.