Holiday Celebrations, Services and Closings

The Town of Ocean City is reminding citizens that administrative offices will be closed on Wednesday, December 24, and Thursday, December 25, in observance of the Christmas holiday. The normal trash pickup schedule will be in effect on Wednesday, December 24, however; there will be no trash collection on Thursday, December 25.

Also beginning December 26, the Town of Ocean City will once again provide a Christmas tree drop-off site at the 100th Street Municipal Parking Lot. Trees can be placed in the northeast corner of the 100th Street lot December 26 through January 15. Please remove all tinsel, ornaments and other non-wooden items from the tree. Trees collected at the site are taken to the county landfill where they are recycled.

Citizens should also be reminded that Town of Ocean City administrative offices will be closed on Thursday, January 1, in observance of the New Year’s holiday. There will be no trash collection on New Year’s Day. The normally scheduled trash collection will resume on Friday, January 2.

Also modifying their normal schedule for the holiday is the Town of Ocean City’s Transportation Department, who will offer free bus service from 6 a.m. on December 31 to 6 a.m. on January 1. On December 31, bus services will run every 20 minutes from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. and every 10 minutes from 6 p.m. until 4 a.m. on January 1. Busses on New Year’s Day will also run every 20 minutes from 4 a.m. until 7 a.m., at which time they will resume a normal winter service schedule of every 40 minutes.

Along with free bus services, the Town of Ocean City will be hosting a free fireworks show on New Year’s Eve to celebrate the beginning of 2015 and the 22nd Annual Winterfest of Lights. The show, which will begin promptly at midnight, will be accompanied by musical entertainment, warm hot chocolate (for a small fee) and the opportunity to ride the Winterfest of Lights. Hours for Winterfest will be extended until 12 a.m. to allow visitors to travel through the winter paradise of lights and then listen to music by DJ Kutt as they wait for the countdown to midnight.

With more than one million holiday lights sparkling throughout Northside Park, the Winterfest of Lights New Year’s Eve Fireworks Show is unlike other celebrations around. “We added the New Year’s Eve fireworks show to the Winterfest of Lights and it has been a huge hit amongst residents and visitors who were looking for a fun and family-friendly way to ring in the New Year,” said Mayor Rick Meehan. “The fireworks show is free for everyone and is an exciting and affordable way for people of all ages to ring in the New Year in Ocean City.”

The New Year’s Eve festivities begin at 5:30 p.m. inside the Winterfest Pavilion, with the celebration continuing on until midnight at Northside Park. For more information about the Winterfest of Lights and the New Year’s Eve Fireworks Show, please visitwww.ococean.com/events.

On New Year’s Day, the celebration continues at the Mayor and City Council’s 19th Annual Open House, scheduled from 1 to 3 p.m. at the new Performing Art’s Center. The Open House, which has been a community tradition since 1997, offers a different theme each year. This year’s theme will feature the evolution of the Convention Center, highlighting the building’s new attraction, the Performing Art Center.

With a new year and a new tradition, the Mayor’s Open House will offer an open invitation for residents and visitors to meet the Mayor and City Council members. Once inside, visitors can view the pictorial history of the Convention Center, while also having the privilege to enjoy a first-look of the two tiered, 1,200 seat auditorium. This rare glimpse, which takes place before the official Performing Arts Ribbon Cutting, will also offer live and local entertainment by Bryan Russo with several special guest performances.

“The Open House offers the perfect opportunity for our citizens to meet with the elected officials that serve our community,” commented Mayor Rick Meehan. “The tradition at City Hall has been carried on for nearly two decades, so what better time than now to allow residents and guests to preview the Performing Art Center. It’s a perfect time to start a new tradition in our incredible new theater.”

Also participating in the event are several of the town’s community partners, including the Ocean City Beautification Committee, the Ocean City Development Corporation, the Art League of Ocean City, the Beach Patrol, the Downtown Association and the Community Response Team. Outside the festively decorated Convention Center, the Ocean City Fire Department will have equipment on display and also back by popular community demand will be the mounted police and canine units of the Ocean City Police Department.

For more information about Town of Ocean City services and holiday closings, please visithttp://oceancitymd.gov.