The annual Optimist Seaside Boat Show always offers the newest and most popular models on display. Hundreds of boars and scores of dealers and vendors will be featured Friday through Sunday, the third weekend of each February at the Ocean City convention center on 40th Street.
Admission cost is $10 for a day pass or $15 for the entire weekend. Children’s admission is $1.
Many of the dealers and exhibitors will offer special show prices at one of the most popular boat shows on the East Coast. Visitors will have the option to browse an array of sport cruisers, sport fishing, performance and โsuper boats.โ Financing and insurance is available for interested buyers.
โAll who buy a ticket get a chance to win the door prize, a pontoon boat and motor. The boat and motor are donated by North Bay Marina and they have done so for over 25 years. This helps make the show a success,โ Charles Smith, the showโs media advertising head has said.
Exhibitors will be offering marine electronics, trailers, canvas tops, motors, jewelry, art and fishing gear.
The Ocean City-Berlin Optimist Club sponsors the event and is a local affiliate of Optimist International. The Ocean City-Berlin chapter has more than 120 members and is recognized as one of the top clubs in the volunteer organization.
The Ocean City Seaside Boat Show is one of the Optimist Clubโs major fundraisers for its childrenโs programs and all of the funds raised are used for youth activities and community service in Worcester County.
โWe say the show works for kids because all proceeds go toward kidโs programs,โ Smith said.
In the past, the show has supported Diakonia shelter in West Ocean City, boy scouts, WEXL banquet, Junior Achievement, essay contests, reading programs in schools, drama program at Stephen Decatur High School and scholarships at the three local high schools. It has raised funds for sports and recreation in Ocean City, Berlin, Selbyville, Snow Hill and in other areas, Smith said.
Over the years, the club has given hundreds of scholarships totaling more than $1.5 million to Worcester County students, and it raises money toward other local youth programs, including art, essay and speech contests, he said.
The Seaside Boat Show runs from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday.
For a chance to win a boat, fill out the name, address and phone number tear-off section of the admission ticket and put it in the raffle container.
Visit www.ocboatshow.com for a list of exhibitors. Check out www.ocberlinoptimist.org for more information about the Ocean City-Berlin Optimist Club.
This page was updated to reflect the new dates for 2019 and author attribution was removed. — Ed.
