Ocean City prepares to host 33rd annual Springfest
OCEAN CITY, Md – The official-unofficial start of the busy season in Ocean City is just days away, with the decade’s-long tradition of Springfest ready to kick things off. The four day event begins this Thursday, May 2nd.
The event is a staple of Ocean City’s annual summer festivities. Officials say visitors can expect it to be bigger and better than ever. “This event is a high point not only for the town and the patrons, but the businesses here as well,” said Ocean City Special Events Director Frank Miller. He continued, saying that Springfest is the town’s takeoff point for the entire season, with many local businesses opening their doors for the first time on Thursday: “So you’ll see a lot of local elements here at Spring Fest…It really takes the entire town coming together to make this event happen.”
City-wide collaboration between a number of different departments and organizations has made it possible for Springfest to fully find its footing post-covid. With 4 days of live music and more local vendors than ever before–over 300–people will be flocking to the boardwalk by the thousands. Susan Jones of the Ocean City Hotel Motel Restaurant Association said business owners are thrilled to reap the benefits of the town’s hard work: “As the business community, we get to enjoy what they’ve done so that we can bring visitors to the business community and bring people here to Ocean City to come out and enjoy the event.”
Jones said that many local businesses will finally get the chance to show off upgrades and changes they’ve made during the offseason: “The winter gives people a time to just kind of reevaluate what’s going on. And then Spring Fest is definitely the time when they are all opened up and ready for the visitors.”
While Miller noted Springfest as a high point for the town, its a level they’ll be trying to maintain, with events in the immediate weeks following like: OC Jeep Week, Cruisin’ Ocean City, then Professional Bull Riding. Then we get to Memorial Day Weekend where things are really in full swing.
There will also be smaller changes to the event, like vendor tents now facing inwards rather than outwards, making for a more intimate experience for patrons.
For information for planning your trip to Springfest, visit OCocean.com.
