The Town of Ocean City is reminding citizens that the administrative offices will be closed on Monday, December 24, and Tuesday, December 25, in observance of the Christmas holiday. The normal trash pickup schedule will be in effect on Monday, December 24, however; trash collection normally scheduled for Tuesday, December 25, will not be picked up until Wednesday, December 26.

Also beginning December 26, the Town of Ocean City will once again provide a Christmas tree drop-off site at the 100th Street Municipal Parking Lot. Trees can be placed in the northeast corner of the 100th Street lot December 26 through January 31.  Please remove all tinsel, ornaments and other non-wooden items from the tree. Trees collected at the site are taken to the county landfill where they are ground into mulch.
 
In addition to the Christmas holiday, the Town of Ocean City administrative offices will be closed on Tuesday, January 1, in observance of the New Year’s holiday.  There will be no trash collection on New Year’s Day.  Trash collection normally scheduled for Tuesday, January 1, will be picked up on Wednesday, January 2.
 
The Town of Ocean City’s Transportation Department will also be offering free bus service from 6 a.m. on December 31 to 6 a.m. on January 1.  On December 31, bus services will run every 20 minutes from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. and every 10 minutes from 6 p.m. until 4 a.m. on January 1.  Buses on New Year’s Day will also run every 20 minutes from 4 a.m. until 7 a.m., at which time they will resume a normal winter service schedule of every 40 minutes.
 
Along with free bus services, the Town of Ocean City will be hosting an inaugural fireworks show to celebrate the beginning of 2013 and the 20th Annual Winterfest of Lights. The show, which will begin promptly at midnight, will be accompanied by live entertainment, warm hot chocolate, and the opportunity to ride the Winterfest of Lights.  Hours for Winterfest will be extended until 12 a.m. to allow visitors to travel through the winter paradise of lights and then listen to music by DJ Kutt as they wait for the countdown to midnight.
 
With more than one million holiday lights sparkling throughout Northside Park, the Winterfest of Lights New Year’s Eve Firework Show is going to be unlike any other celebration around.