Twenty five years ago, the Winterfest of Lights began as a way to celebrate the holiday season at the beach. This tradition started small and has grown into one of the largest holiday festivals on the east coast. It has become a tradition for both our residents and visitors, as they bring their families back year after year to celebrate the holiday season in Ocean City!
What began as a drive-through display in the Inlet parking lot, has grown into a full scale production of lights and songs stretching over 58 acres at the Northside Park on 127th Street. This magnificent production consists of nearly 500 holiday displays that require over one million lights and countless man hours to produce and it only continues to grow from year to year.
New this year will be a 50-foot Christmas tree and a brand new look inside the Winterfest Pavilion. The special opening ceremony, which kicks off at 5:30pm on Thursday, November 16th is free and open to the public! This ceremony features the “OC Stars” from Ocean City Elementary School to perform holiday songs and dance. Additionally, Mayor Rick Meehan will flip the ceremonial switch to light the Christmas tree and officially open the Winterfest of Lights. Santa will make a surprise appearance for the opening ceremony, which will feature free rides on the Winterfest Express train for the remainder of the evening.
Beginning November 16, the hours of operation will be Sunday-Thursday from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 5:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Winterfest tickets are available and can be purchased in advance at the Ocean City Community Center and the Convention Center. Admission is $5.00 for those 12 years & older and FREE for those 11 years and younger.
Click here for more information pertaining to this annual holiday event. We hope to see you and your family on the trolley bus this year!
