By MADDY VITALE
Where else but Ocean City’s First Night could a little over $20 get you hours of family-friendly entertainment from ice skating, to live bands, stage performances, a basketball event, magic shows, and even an orchestra?
On Sunday night the sold-out event, in its 31st year, did not disappoint for revelers who chose the resort to ring in 2024. Each year the maximum amount of buttons that can be sold is 10,000. By early afternoon, the goal was reached.
For those who already had their buttons, they had a night filled with their choice of 70 activities over 20 venues in town. A fireworks display to herald in the new year was planned for midnight.
Melissa and Keith King, of Belle Mead, N.J., brought their children, Alyse, 9, Kent, 7, Corinne, 3, and 2-year-old son, Joel, for the festivities. It is their family tradition, they said.
“We’ve been doing First Night for the last seven years,” Melissa said. “The kids like it and we like coming to see the Ocean City Pops orchestra. The kids love the magician, too.”
The children enjoyed the inflatables set up at the Sports & Civic Center. After the inflatables, the Kings planned to do a little ice skating outside of the civic center.
“It’s always a great time,” Keith said. “We’ve been doing it for so long because the kids love it. We like all the activities and we like seeing the plays, too.”
Patrons strolled from one event to another. A guide gave people a plethora of events, shows and performances to check out in an easy-to-view grid.
The headline entertainment at the Music Pier was “GYPSY,” a tribute to the music of Stevie Nicks and Fleetwood Mac, and “Motor City,” a revue of Motown’s greatest hits.
But before the headliners made their appearances, children enjoyed some fun, including a show called “It All Started With a Mouse.”
And like every year before, it seems ice skating remains one of the top picks for activities. From the beginning of the day at 4 p.m. until later in the evening, people were on the rink or lined up to skate. Last year, due to the rainy forecast, a skating rink was set up inside the high school gym.
Families such as Alicia and Brian DeVinney, of Phoenixville, Pa., and their 6-yeat-old daughter, Olivia, made some memories with photos in front of elaborate ice sculptures on display under the loggia at the Music Pier.
Olivia held a streamer and waved it in an early celebration of the new year.
“She is ready to go on the rides,” Brian said, noting that the family comes down for First Night celebrations each year.
“There is plenty to enjoy,” Alicia added.
A line spilled out onto the Boardwalk of anxious children and their families waiting to ride the carousel at Gillian’s Wonderland Pier. Others enjoyed kiddie rides in the amusement park.
And at the high school each room featured acts that kept attendees amazed, amused and entertained.
Crooner Keith Hickman serenaded an audience in the high school community room and the Ocean City Theatre Company gave a lively performance of “The Cat in The Hat” in the auditorium.
The Harlem Wizards showcased their basketball skills and engaged the audience, including kids who came down to the court to try their hand at some hoops.
And a popular attraction for the past couple of years continued with the Ocean City Pops performing with the Chicago tribute band Brass Transit at the Ocean City Tabernacle.
First Night in Ocean City was modeled after an alcohol-free New Year’s Eve celebration in Boston that marked the nation’s bicentennial in 1976. The first celebration in Ocean City in 1992 included 25 entertainment acts in five different locations with admission buttons selling for $8 ($5 before Dec. 26). About 800 buttons were sold, according to a city news release.
This year’s sponsors of First Night include the Ocean City Regional Chamber of Commerce, Cape May County Division of Culture and Heritage, McMahon Insurance Agency, Ocean City Free Public Library, Wonderland Pier and Atlantic City Electric.
The fun doesn’t end on First Night. On New Year’s Day revelers take their “First Plunge” into the water by the Music Pier in one of Ocean City’s zaniest events of the year.
