OCEAN CITY, N.J. — Ocean City will send summer out with a busy Labor Day weekend featuring a beach race, the music of David Bowie and John Williams, and the final days of some of the resort's traditional summer services.
The holiday weekend culminates Monday, Sept. 7, with the 35th annual Ocean City Labor Day Race, a traditional end-of-summer event that puts runners directly on the sand.
The five-mile beach race begins at 23rd Street and takes runners south to 46th Street before returning to the starting area. A one-mile health walk/run travels from 23rd Street to 18th Street and back.
Both events begin at 9 a.m., with race-day registration opening at 7:30 a.m.
The city describes the race as a traditional way to mark the end of the summer season in Ocean City.
Bowie Comes to the Music Pier
The holiday stretch gets an early musical start Wednesday, Sept. 2, when vocalist and songwriter Camille K joins Vince Lee and the Vince League Superstars for “Starman: The Best of David Bowie.”
The 7:30 p.m. performance at the Ocean City Music Pier will feature music spanning Bowie's career, including “Space Oddity” and “Fame.”
The Ocean City Pops will not perform at the Bowie show.
The Music Pier, one of Ocean City's signature Boardwalk landmarks, has been an entertainment destination for nearly a century. Construction began in 1928 following a devastating 1927 Boardwalk fire, and the building was dedicated July 4, 1929.
From ‘Star Wars’ to ‘Jaws’
The Ocean City Pops takes over the Music Pier on Sunday, Sept. 6, with a concert devoted to one of Hollywood's most recognizable composers.
“Dinosaurs, Aliens, & Adventure: The Movie Music of John Williams” begins at 7:30 p.m.
The concert will include music from “Star Wars” and “Jaws,” along with selections from “War Horse” and “Far and Away” and Williams' music associated with the Olympic Games.
Ocean City Pops Maestro Vince Lee has worked with Williams and has become an interpreter of the composer's music.
Williams' career has spanned eight decades, with his scores becoming inseparable from some of the most successful movies in film history.
One Last Summer Weekend
Labor Day also marks the end of a couple of familiar Ocean City summer traditions.
Beach tags remain required for beachgoers ages 12 and older through Monday, Sept. 7. The city charges $10 for a daily tag and $20 for a weekly tag.
The city's summer Boardwalk jitney service also concludes Sept. 7. Jitneys operate from 5 to 11 p.m. in a continuous loop between 55th Street and North Street. The fare is $3 each way, with children 5 and younger riding free.
Ocean City's daily Boardwalk flag-raising ceremony will continue a few days beyond Labor Day, through Sept. 11. The 9 a.m. ceremony at the Music Pier includes the national anthem and a tribute to veterans.
And Labor Day won't quite mean the end of Ocean City's event calendar.
September will bring two Boardwalk car shows, the Ocean City Airport Festival, a nighttime parachute pyrotechnic show, the Boardwalk Aerobatic Airshow, The Righteous Brothers performing with the Ocean City Pops and the annual MS City to Shore Ride.
But first comes one final long weekend of summer — from Bowie and John Williams at the Music Pier to hundreds of runners making their way along the Ocean City beach.
About the Author
Karen Johnson
With over 30 years of news experience in major markets like Los Angeles, Denver, and Columbus, Karen now covers our area for South Jersey NewsBeat. She also brings her articulate and conversational news delivery to WOND radio listeners every weekday. Her background includes work with the NBC Radio Network, and she thrives in fast-paced news environments.
