Holiday Weekend Attendance Breaks OC Winterfest Record

OCEAN CITY — The combination of near-perfect late fall weather and a four-day Thanksgiving holiday drew summer-like crowds to the resort, resulting in a new record for Winterfest over the extended weekend.

Winterfest of Lights, Ocean City’s centerpiece attraction based at Northside Park during the holiday season, drew 22,423 visitors from Wednesday through Sunday, setting a new record for the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. The previous record for the same time frame for Thanksgiving weekend was set in 2011 when 21,149 enjoyed Winterfest of Lights. Last year, 19,918 came through the gates at Winterfest over the same weekend. Last year’s Winterfest set the overall attendance record for the 23-year special event.

Last weekend’s record was largely weather-driven, with daytime temperatures in the upper 60s and low 70s for much of the weekend and evening temps not dipping much further below. Big crowds strolled the Boardwalk and enjoyed the beach and even a handful of late fall swimmers enjoyed a dip in the ocean. Anecdotally, around 6 p.m. on Friday, the line of vehicles in the center lane of Coastal Highway waiting to enter the Winterfest of Lights area at Northside Park at 125th Street was backed up to about 118th Street.

More