Memorial Day Weekend is pretty big in Ocean City, but the weekend preceding it is not to be overlooked: Thousands of classic cars and hot rods arrive in town on Thursday, May 16 to celebrate the warm weather and an early start to the summer season. It’s Cruisin’ Ocean City weekend!
New in 2019 is the Cruisin’ Car Corral, to be held inside the Convention Center. Catherine Bach, otherwise known as Daisy Duke from Dukes of Hazzard, will make appearances throughout the weekend to celebrate Cruisin’ and the 40th anniversary of the Dukes of Hazzard, and as usual, Boardwalk parades will kick off Thursday, Friday and Saturday mornings when the cars cruise south from 26th Street all the way to the Inlet.
If you’re driving through town this weekend, use extra caution — starting on May 14, Coastal Highway is designated a Special Event Zone, which means reduced speed limits and increased fines for violators.
Besides perusing all the hot rods and attending the Cruisers’ early-morning Boardwalk parades, there are other special events happening in town, including a Joe Diffie concert and International Museum Day at the Life-Saving Station Museum. Geek out at all the cool cars, and then geek out for Ocean City history when the museum offers free admission on May 18.
Memorial Day Weekend will be here before you know it, but until then, we’ll be celebrating the season a little early in our cruisers.
Last week’s news
Punkin Chunkin’ in Ocean City? It’s more likely than you think. Delaware’s famed pumpkin hurling contest could be moved to OC, if the logistics can be worked out.
Famed ‘Punkin Chunkin’ contest may be heading to Ocean City | WTOP
Punkin Chunkin is a decades-old tradition in southern Delaware, started by some guys who had too many leftover pumpkins after Halloween and decided it’d be fun to see who could launch one the farthest. A small field in Lewes eventually gave way to bigger fields in Sussex County until an accident in 2016 put the event on pause.
The Hampton Inn & Suites in West Ocean City is officially open for its first season ever. The grand opening ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held on Tuesday, May 14!
Peak inside West Ocean City’s new Hampton Inn & Suites
West Ocean City’s business boom continues with the brand new Hampton Inn & Suites, which will celebrate its grand opening with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on May 14. The Hampton Inn takes the place of the old Wheels of Yesterday Museum, sandwiched between a Dumser’s and Comfort Suites and with the White Marlin Mall a hop, skip and a jump across Ocean Gateway.
This Week in OC
Cruisin’ Ocean City (May 16 – 19): Cruisin’ OC features over 3,400 hot rods, customs, classics, street machines, muscle cars and more. Live entertainment, celebrity guests, special attractions, boardwalk parades, manufacturers vendor midway and more. Admission. Don’t miss the FREE Boardwalk Parades on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday mornings from 8 to 10 a.m.
Lots of car shows and vendors will be taking place at the Convention Center Parking Lot and the Inlet Parking Lot, plus several more car shows will be taking place at various business locations in and around Ocean City.
Joe Diffie with Special Guest Jackson Dean (May 16): Joe Diffie will be performing at the Ocean City Performing Arts Center on May 16th. The doors open at 7:30 and the show starts at 8 p.m. Diffie has had hits including “Home,” “Pick-up Man,” “Third Rock from the Sun” and “John Deere Green.”
Spring Cruisers in Berlin (May 18): Classic cars and cruisers line the streets of Main Street Berlin.
International Museum Day (May 18): The Ocean City Life-Saving Museum will open its doors for FREE on May 18th, as part of International Museum Day.
Enjoy all this gem of a museum has to offer including the Boardwalk of Yesterday, the Aquarium Room, and the story of the Life-Saving Museum. Well worth a visit!
