Downtown Ocean City has everything Discover fun, food, shopping, events and entertainment in downtown OC Downtown Ocean City kicks off summer with a May lineup built for car enthusiasts, food lovers, Jeep fans, and anyone ready for a great time. There's a moment every spring when Downtown Ocean City wakes up. The salt air sharpens, the Boardwalk hums back to life, and the first whiff of boardwalk fries drifts down the beach. That moment isn't Memorial Day; it's May 1 and this year the calendar is ready to prove it. As an accredited Main Street Maryland community, Downtown Ocean City has spent decades
building a destination worth celebrating yearround. May is where that effort really shows. Whether you're a first-time visitor or a seasoned regular, this month offers a string of signature events and everyday pleasures that make the case for arriving before the summer rush. If you're arriving in early May, you're still on time to take advantage of one of the best deals on the coast. Ocean City Restaurant Week runs through May 9, giving diners the chance to explore the full range of OC's culinary scene, from casual seafood shacks to upscale dining rooms, with special fixed-price menus and exclusive deals at participating downtown area restaurants, like Coastal
Salt, Harrison’s Harbor Watch Restaurant & Raw Bar, Oyster & Scales, and The Vault Speakeasy at Flamingo Coast. Reservations are highly recommended, as tables fill quickly. Visit www.oceancityrestaurantweek. com for the full list of participating locations. The very first weekend of May shifts gears in a big way, as the 36th Annual Cruisin' Ocean City rolls into town from April 30 through May 3, filling the inlet parking lot, the convention center, and the streets with more than 3,000 hot rods, customs, classics, and trucks. Boardwalk parades, live music, celebrity guests, Continued on page 6
OC Today-Dispatch/Discover Downtown
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May 2026
806 South Atlantic Ave. Next to Doggie Style Canine Cafe
443-624-0564
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TREATS MADE ON-SITE WITH LOVE. Inlet Village Shops 806 S. Atlantic Ave
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5 Atlantic Avenue North Boardwalk By the Arch
May 2026
OC Today-Dispatch/Discover Downtown
Advertisers Index Cabanas Beach Bar & Grille . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 Caribbean Pool Bar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 Doggie Style Canine Café / OC Socks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Funcade Family Fun Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Hammerheads Bar & Grille . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Jolly Rogers Amusement Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Malibu’s Surf Shop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 OC Life Saving Station Museum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Ocean Princess . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Park Place Jewelers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Pickles Pub . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Purple Moose Saloon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Quiet Storm Surf Shop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 & 9 Somerset Jewelers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 Soprano’s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 St. Paul by the Sea . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 Trimper’s Rides . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
Discover Downtown Ocean City OC TODAY-DISPATCH is the leading newspaper publisher on the Maryland coast, with OC Today-Dispatch publishing weekly on Friday, Bayside Gazette and Ocean City Digest publishing on Thursdays and Real Estate, the Coastal Real Estate Resource publishing key weekends throughout the year. On the Web: www.octodaydispatch.com Editor ......................................................................... Stewart Dobson Executive Editor ................................................................ Steve Green Account Managers ...................... Terri French, Mary Cooper, Renée Kelly Classifieds/Legals ............................................................. Pam Green Art Director....................................................................... Cole Gibson Senior Page Designer ....................................................... Susan Parks Senior Ad Designer ............................................................ Kelly Brown Publisher..................................................................... Christine Brown Administrative Asistant.......................................................... Gini Tufts
To Advertise in the OCDC Discover Downtown, Contact Terri French • 410-723-6397 EXT. 114
410-723-6397 WWW.OCTODAYDISPATCH.COM
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