Top Ten Things we are Looking Forward to in 2015

It’s officially the New Year! The bad news is, it will take us several weeks before we are used to writing 2015 instead of 2014; the good news is we have SO much to look forward to! The Eastern Shore is abuzz with activities all year long, including festivals, small town events, grand openings, dining deals and more. We decided to get the ball rolling this year by compiling a list of the Top Ten Things we are looking forward to in 2015. Enjoy!

1. Ocean City Performing Arts Center

The Ocean City Performing Arts Center opened at the end of 2014, and we are thrilled to see another arts and entertainment venue in our area! We’re sure 2015 will bring many terrific performances to the Convention Center but right now we have our eye on the first two big events on the calendar: the Grand Opening Celebration featuring the Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra and the Ballet Theater of Maryland’s performance of Cinderella. The performances are scheduled for January 17 and March 7, respectively.

2. Fall Festivals

At ShoreBread, one of our favorite parts about Eastern Shore living is the abundance of festivals to attend throughout the year. The bulk occur in the fall (incidentally our favorite season) with a host of terrific festivals including the Berlin Fiddler’s Convention, Wine at the Beach in OCMD, the Good Beer and Autumn Wine Festivals in Salisbury, the Sea Witch Festival in Rehoboth, Sunfest and Springfest in OCMD, and Pocomoketoberfest, to name a few. Our 2015 event calendar is already jam-packed with fun festivals.

3. President’s Day Weekend

It may seem strange to be this excited about President’s Day Weekend, but in Ocean City, the President’s Day/Valentine’s Weekend is typically an exciting time for local businesses (and for locals who are ready to see some new faces!). It’s the first big weekend of the year, with many businesses opening up shop again, a host of deals and specials, and the return of out-of-towners. After hibernating all of January, we welcome the excuse to be out and about again.

4. Exploring New Places

As Eastern Shore natives, you would think we had discovered all there was to discover across Delmarva, but one thing we’ve learned, there is always something new to see, do, eat, and enjoy! We’ll start with our favorite thing…food! Each year brings new restaurant openings and we are always eager to try the cuisine and meet the owners. Currently on our horizon, is the opening of Sello’s in West Ocean City. We were sad when we heard that Fresco’s would be closing their doors in OCMD, but were quickly consoled by the news that the Tomasello’s would be opening a new venture. Next on our list, Headquarters Live in Downtown Salisbury! Downtown Salisbury has seen some welcome transformations over the past few years, and the music/arts venue will be another terrific addition.

5. FREE Beaches

This never gets old for us. We often take for granted the fact that our beaches are free, but so many of the East Coast beaches (we’re looking at you Jersey) charge you a fee. We are certainly looking forward to summertime along our beautiful beaches but we enjoy the beach all year long here. There is nothing more beautiful than walking on an empty beach in the wintertime or in the fall. It just never gets old.

6. Dining Out More

We already mentioned that we are excited for new restaurant openings in 2015, but there are also restaurants that are already open that we need to discover and re-discover in the New Year. A few favorites we haven’t frequented lately include: Liquid Assets, Papa Grande’s, Sunset Grille, Touch of Italy, and Cultured Pearl.

7. Holiday Season on the Shore

At this point you’re probably completely sick of the holidays, BUT that doesn’t mean you won’t be ready to revel in the holiday festivities come next November. Christmas parades, tree lighting ceremonies, Winterfest of Lights, holiday parties, Christmas craft fairs…we could go on about on about all the fun holiday happenings to look forward to in 2015.

8. St. Patrick’s Day Parade in OCMD

The St. Patrick’s Day Parade is considered the unofficial start of the year in our resort town. With spring just around the corner, locals are ready to be outside again, celebrating all things OCMD. The St. Patrick’s Day Parade is one of our top events of the year, with people of all ages joining in the fun. This year’s parade is scheduled for March 14. See you all there!

9. OC Air Show

The OC Air Show is easily one of the biggest events of the summer season in Ocean City. Celebrating its 8^th year, this year’s show promises to be bigger and better than ever. The show is visible along the entire length of the boardwalk and is free of charge for spectators. But what we’re REALLY looking forward to this year are the Blue Angels! Our OC Air Show is also just one of 18 shows in 2015 that will host the Breitling Jet Team. The air show will take place on June 13-14.

10. Country Music Festivals

2015 is shaping up to be the year of country music festivals in Delaware, with two huge festivals on tap for this summer. Delaware Junction and Big Barrel Country Music Festival wil both take place this summer, and as country music fans, we’re pretty excited to have so many big names coming to our area. Throw in the Delaware State Fair performances and we’d say it’s going to be a great year for country music fans on Delmarva! Jason Aldean, Toby Keith, Florida Georgia Line, Carrie Underwood, Miranda Lambert, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Merle Haggard and Blake Shelton are just a few of the big names on tap for 2015’s country music festivals.