By DAVID NAHAN/Sentinel staff
OCEAN CITY – Ocean City is “America’s Greatest Family Resort” because of its beaches, Boardwalk and welcoming and friendly atmosphere. What adds to that are all the special family activities that take place from spring through fall.
Don’t expect the same thing this summer as the Jersey shore works its way out of the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions which are slowly being lifted after being in place since March.
For now, all of the city’s events are cancelled through the middle of next month and the business associations have cancelled their summer weekday celebrations.
“All city events are canceled through mid-June,” according to Ocean City Public Information Officer Doug Bergen. “The Community Services Department is planning now and expects to announce soon which summer events can go on with restrictions, which can be held virtually and which will be canceled.”
The Downtown Merchants Association and the Boardwalk Merchants Association have cancelled the special evenings on the Boardwalk and special days downtown because of the social distancing required by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Michele Gillian, executive director of the Ocean City Regional Chamber of Commerce.
“It’s the unknown for sure,” Gillian said about how special events will proceed this summer season. “The downtown merchants as well as the boardwalk merchants have cancelled Mummer’s Night and Family Nights on the Boardwalk and downtown the Market Days and Funtastic Tuesdays. That has all been cancelled.
“They’re asking us not to gather as groups and there is limited space on the downtown and Boardwalk to do that so they have cancelled those Tuesdays and Thursdays,” Gillian said. She noted the weekly Farmer’s Market is permitted throughout the state and will take place.
“Other than that, everything is in the unknown because of social distancing and what that requires for different organizations,” she said. “That is going to be a challenge. There are lots of unknowns and that has not been addressed.”
“We are known for our special events and we certainly are going to miss the opening Business Persons Plunge, and that is heartbreaking because we really like it. It’s a signature event for Ocean City to start the summer season off with the lifeguards and all the people walking into the water,” she said.
The Business Persons Plunge has taken place the Friday of each Memorial Day weekend for years, right after the official unlocking of the ocean. For that, city officials gather together and turn a big key, symbolic of the beaches opening for the new summer season.
“I’m sure there are other events that might not happen because of the restrictions we’re going to be under,” Gillian said.