Ocean’s Calling could bring $30M dollars of economic impact this weekend
OCEAN CITY, Md – Ocean City is gearing up for the Ocean’s Calling music festival this weekend, following the event getting canceled last year after poor weather conditions struck the beach town.
Ocean City Marketing Director Jessica Waters says the event is slated to bring 30 million dollars of revenue to the town, with a younger demographic, and more nationally recognized talent than the town is used to with its festival events.
“A festival like this again happens all over the country, but has never happened in Ocean City,” she said adding “The economic impact alone, we expect over 30 million for the event, but I think in terms of public relations and the type of earned media that we’ll get from something like this is really invaluable,” as she says over 60 percent of attendees would be first-time visitors to Ocean City.
With performers like John Mayer, The Lumineers, and more, they say it’s a chance to introduce a national audience to Ocean City and leave them wanting more.
“We have the opportunity to make an impression on people that we probably would have never had as a visitor without this type of event,” she said.
For restaurants near the Ocean City Inlet, the weekend promises to be packed with festival goers, for restaurants both inside and around the event grounds that cover large portions of the boardwalk.
Fat Daddy’s restaurant Owner Ed Braude tells 47ABC that when the festival was called off last minute, his bar filled up with customers, and he hopes to see an even greater crowd.
“We had, I think 19 states represented there, probably a lot more, that was just the ones I talked to as far away as Hawaii, there’s a family in the dining room today from Vegas, ” Braude said adding “It’s a big deal and it exposes a lot of people to Ocean City that probably normally wouldn’t come.”
Braude says he is excited to seat the music goers, but he says the scheduling date leaves him with fewer staff than he’d like to handle the crowds.
“We’re having to do like a grab-and-go menu, you know, pare down the hours, I’d love to have two bartenders, but we were going and have one, make do,” he said.
Wendy Di Buo, co-owner of Cork Bar and Craw Street Tavern says they are in a unique position with Cork Bar being located within the festival ground limits with hours limited to 11 pm, while their other location just feet away will be walled off, but open longer until 2 am.
They say they will shift staff between the locations in hopes of capturing as many festival goers as possible.
Waters tells 47ABC that the pressure is on for this weekend, with the hope of making the event a yearly tradition.
“I think if this weekend goes well, which I think it will, hopefully we’ll see more events like this in the future,” Waters said.
