Fireworks to Light Up the Late Summer in Ocean City

On the second-to-last weekend of the traditional season, the Ocean City Boardwalk Merchants Association will thank customers with a special fireworks display starting at 10 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 26.

Summer once again has flown by, and the fireworks will provide a fitting finale to a night on the boardwalk catching up on all the fun, fashion and food you may have missed earlier in the summer. The show will be launched from a barge stationed off the Ocean City Music Pier. The display will be best viewed from the beach or boardwalk between Fifth Street and 14th Street.

The fun this week begins on Wednesday, Aug. 23 with the newest installment of Wacky Wednesday. This version of the weekly family event asks participants to use their creativity to shape and sculpt salt water taffy into masterpieces. The contest is free and open to all ages. It starts at 10:30 a.m. at the Music Pier (between Eighth Street and Ninth Street on the Boardwalk). Shriver’s Salt Water Taffy and Fudge sponsors the event. For more information, call (609) 399-6111.

That night, the Ocean City Pops orchestra will celebrate the 25th anniversary season of Bel Canto Lyric Opera of Philadelphia as they return for the first time in nearly two decades. The show is titled Italia Dal Mare (Italy by the Ocean) and is under the direction of co-artistic director Anthony Pirollo, principal cellist of the Ocean City Pops. The evening will be dedicated to Italian favorites in both opera and song in the traditional bel canto style. The show begins at 8 p.m. at the Music Pier. Tickets are $20/$15 and will be available at the Ocean City Music Pier Box Office, by visiting oceancityvacation.com/boxoffice or by calling (609) 399-6111.

Everybody is invited to learn and share ideas about making Ocean City a more bicycle-friendly community. All invited to participate in a community forum sponsored by Bike OCNJ 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 23, at the Howard S. Stainton Senior Center in the Ocean City Community Center at 18th Street and Simpson Avenue.

Ocean City will host a Green Fair under the covered loggia of the Ocean City Music Pier (Boardwalk at Moorlyn Terrace) from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday, Aug. 25. The community-wide event is designed to educate and encourage people of all ages to adopt a more sustainable lifestyle. Green Fairs allow participants to learn how small individual efforts can make a huge difference in their communities. A variety of exhibitors will be on hand. The Green Fair is sponsored by the City of Ocean City and the Ocean City Environmental Commission. The event is free to attend. For information, call (609) 399-6111.

The Ocean City Pops perform again on Sunday, Aug. 27, with a Best of Broadway show. The concert will feature special guests Jim and Joan Schubin and include everything from contemporary favorites to classic love songs. The show begins at 8 p.m. on the Ocean City Music Pier. Tickets are $20/$15 and will be available at the Ocean City Music Pier Box Office, by visiting oceancityvacation.com/boxoffice or by calling (609) 399-6111.