10 Things I Learned At Ocean’s Calling and Country’s Calling Music Festivals in Ocean City, Maryland

If you know, you know! The schedules allowed for great performers to take on all three stages (Seabright, Rockville, Carousel) (Boot, Scoot, Boogie). But walking back and forth from stage to stage was tough! Especially if you walked from the Rockville Stage to the Seabright Stage several times in the sand. Dodging people’s blankets and sand couches was a feat in itself. But boy was that walk beautiful. And I even got a glimpse at the police horses and the mounting unit. Yes, walking in the sand was hard, but totally worth it!

Five days of music festivals in two weeks and they always wanted more! Everyone that attended the concerts looked like they were having the time of their lives. Young girls made signs for Riley Green, Lainey Wilson t-shirts were seen for miles, and couples danced in the sand to those memorable songs. Artists came up on stage and rocked the beach, and Ocean City was here for it.

Yes, they get up close and personal at the stage with their cameras. Yes, they get to see the artists they’ve obsessed over growing up. And Yes! They are some of the nicest, creative, and fun people to work with. The photographers for both festivals were beyond talented, top of their field, and still very willing to help me learn something new every day. They’ve shot for icons like Taylor Swift, Billy Strings, Aerosmith, and Stevie Wonder and didn’t bat an eye when I asked hundreds of questions. And for that I am extremely grateful. Thanks guys!

As a festival goer, you probably don’t think about the entire “to do” list that goes with running a music festival. From hiring security guards, medics, bartenders, bar backs, stage crew, interpreters, etc. Saying it’s a huge undertaking is a huge understatement. Congratulations to C3 for well planned and smoothly executed 5 days of music.

People did complain about the prices of beer. $16 for a regular, $30 for a double. But you’re at a festival. You probably don’t go and do this every weekend (unless you went to both Ocean and Country Calling) but the point is, you don’t do this every day. Relax while you’re there and have a good time- whether you partake in the beer or not.

Once in the festival gates, there were so many places to view the bands. General admission had the entire beach including the Ocean City Fishing Pier. The pier was lined with people from beginning to end all five days. They had a perfect view of the Scoot Stage and could hear the crooning of Clint Black while taking in some of the most beautiful sunsets over Assateague Island. 

I’ve seen bikes parked along the boardwalk my whole life, but I’ve never seen so many bicycles in one place like the bike racks outside the concert gates. It seemed to be the most efficient and safe way to get to the beach concerts as people rode south towards the inlet. People locked their bikes up on the racks, light poles, and even the big Coca Cola chair in hopes to find their bikes later on that evening. Bike rental places even capitalized on the event by offering weekend bike rentals or daily surrey rentals. Next year, that’s the way to go.

Two years ago, the very first Ocean’s Calling Festival was cancelled due to hurricane type weather. Last year I remember missing Noah Kahan because I went home drenched from rain and this year wasn’t much different- except this year the show went on! Last weekend, Ocean’s Calling’s first day wasn’t the best. It rained, rained some more, and rained even more. Blink 182’s crew began to cover their speakers and electronics and kept the audience in the dark (and a down pour rain- myself included) for 45 minutes before coming on stage. With a modified set list, Blink 182 still performed some of their songs- a lot of people agreed they wanted to hear the most popular ones since they’d been waiting so long. It seemed only fair. But nonetheless, festival goers were lucky enough to still hear their music.

Having food allergies is a challenge when eating out, especially at concerts and festivals. But not here! There were several allergy friendly options for everyone’s taste. I heard that the GF mac and cheese was incredible. By the time I went to get some after Bailey Zimmerman, they were all out- it was the last day of the concert. I learned my lesson to go earlier next year. I also saw GF pizza and noodle dishes that looked divine. I can’t wait to try them all next year. The beer tents also offered seltzers for people who are GF.

Everyone was there to have a good time! Yes there are always things that can be tweeked- the cluster of people between the bathrooms and the Carousel Stage- yes I got trapped in that area, too. But people laughed, took photos, drank, ate, danced, met up with friends they hadn’t seen in months, took selfies, relaxed, sang their hearts out, spent quality time with their families, and enjoyed what a music festival in Ocean City, Maryland is all about. 

Kudos to everyone who made Ocean’s Calling and Country’s Calling possible. Thanks to the boardwalk businesses for taking on the extra steam of people. Thanks to the town for offering such great opportunities for your locals and visitors alike. Thanks to C3 for choosing our great city to host your unforgettable festivals. And thanks to the bands and performers for showing Ocean City, Maryland your love. We can’t wait to see what you bring next year.