Ocean City's Boardwalk between 14th and 16th Streets has no deck right now. In his October 23 message, Mayor Jay Gillian said demolition of that stretch was expected to finish that day and that "all the material is in place for construction to start next week." In the same Mayor's Message on OCNJ Daily, he said demolition of the police headquarters would begin the following Tuesday and take about five weeks. If that schedule holds, the demolition runs to about the start of December, which covers almost the whole holiday calendar.
That leaves Asbury Avenue. From the weekend before Thanksgiving through the first weekend of December, the city's own calendar puts most of the season's outdoor events on a five-block stretch of the downtown shopping district. With two other public spaces under construction, the downtown run between Sixth and 11th Streets now carries the season for anyone who comes over the bridge in November.
Two Construction Sites, Each With Its Own Clock
The Boardwalk work is the shorter of the two projects. Gillian called the 14th-to-16th Street rebuild the third section of Boardwalk the city has been able to rebuild with a $4.9 million grant. The city's capital project updates show the larger reconstruction program running from St. Charles Place to Fifth Street. It covers full replacement of the substructure and decking, keeps one section of ipe decking, and treats 14th to 16th Street as a separate project scheduled after summer 2026.
The public safety block will take much longer. According to the same city page, the existing building at 835 Central Avenue, on the 800 block, will be replaced with a new main public safety building. Construction is set to begin early in 2027 and to finish by the end of 2028. The new police substation at Eighth Street and the Boardwalk is already complete.
So the Boardwalk deck is a single off-season job, while the Central Avenue site will be under construction for the next two holiday seasons as well as this one.
The Calendar, Sorted by Where You Will Actually Stand
The city's 2026 Calendar of Events was last updated October 20 and notes that all dates are subject to change. Sorting its November and early December listings by location shows how much of the season happens downtown.
| Date | Event | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Sat., Nov. 7, 8 a.m. | Trail of Two Cities 5K/Walk | Ninth Street Bridge to Somers Point |
| Wed., Nov. 11, 11 a.m. | Veterans Day Program | The Tabernacle, 550 Wesley Avenue |
| Sat., Nov. 14, 9 a.m.–3 p.m. | Winterfest by the Sea, sixth annual | Sports & Civic Center |
| Sat., Nov. 21, 8 a.m.–noon | "Earlier than the Bird" shopping | Downtown |
| Sat., Nov. 21, noon–3 p.m. | Horse & Carriage Rides | Sixth & Asbury |
| Thu., Nov. 26 | Fast & Furriest 5K Turkey Trot | Boardwalk |
| Fri., Nov. 27, 2–5 p.m. | Christmas in the Downtown, "Our Miracle on Asbury Avenue" | Asbury Avenue |
| Nov. 27–29, noon–3 p.m. | Horse & Carriage Rides | Ninth & Asbury, in front of City Hall |
| Sat., Nov. 28, 2 & 6 p.m. | Holidays With the Ocean City Pops | Music Pier |
| Nov. 28–29, 9–11 a.m. | Santa in the Downtown | Soifer Park |
| Nov. 28–29, noon–3 p.m. | Photos with Santa | Music Pier |
| Fri., Dec. 4, 6 p.m. | Christmas Parade | Asbury Avenue, Sixth to 11th Street |
| Dec. 5–6, 9–11 a.m. | Santa in the Downtown | Soifer Park |
| Dec. 5–6, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. | Holiday Train Expo | Music Pier |
| Dec. 5–6, noon–3 p.m. | Horse & Carriage Rides | Ninth & Asbury |
Twelve of these entries are downtown or at the Music Pier. One is on the Boardwalk. The Chamber of Commerce times Winterfest and "Earlier than the Bird" to open the shopping season. Winterfest runs indoors at the Civic Center with craft vendors, food vendors and a strolling Santa. A week later, "Earlier than the Bird" invites shoppers to come downtown in their pajamas for early-bird specials the weekend before Thanksgiving.
The day after Thanksgiving is the anchor. Christmas in the Downtown runs from 2 to 5 p.m. and ends with Santa's arrival at 5 p.m. The city's Christmas Parade page gives the same Asbury Avenue route, Sixth to 11th Street, for the December 4 parade. The Holiday Train Expo at the Music Pier is free. Pops tickets are sold through the city box office, any Welcome Center, or by phone at 609-399-6111, and the calendar recommends buying them early.
Thanksgiving Weekend, Block by Block
Put the four days in order and Ninth and Asbury becomes the center of the weekend:
- Thursday: The Humane Society of Ocean City's Turkey Trot on the Boardwalk. Details are at hsocnj.org or 609-398-9500, ext. 4.
- Friday afternoon: Carriage rides in front of City Hall from noon to 3 p.m. Christmas in the Downtown starts at 2 p.m., and Santa arrives at 5 p.m.
- Saturday morning: Santa at Soifer Park from 9 to 11 a.m.
- Saturday midday: Carriage rides at Ninth and Asbury again, or Photos with Santa at the Music Pier, both from noon to 3 p.m.
- Saturday, 2 or 6 p.m.: Holidays With the Ocean City Pops, led by conductor Vince Lee with the Ocean City Pops Festival Chorus.
- Sunday: The Soifer Park, Music Pier and carriage schedule repeats.
The Doors That Stay Open After Labor Day
A downtown season depends on shops that stay open after summer. The OCNJ Magazine guide to good eats and great finds, published in September, lists these as open year-round:
- Ocean City Coffee Company, 917 Asbury, plus Ninth & Boardwalk and 1066 Boardwalk
- LEH Soap, 937 Asbury, with a second shop at 1312 Boardwalk
- Johnson's Popcorn, 1368 Boardwalk
- Fudge Kitchen, 800 Boardwalk, open every day year-round
At the north end of the avenue, Doozie's Place at 100 Asbury Avenue lists year-round hours of Friday through Monday, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The same guide describes the downtown district as more than 100 shops, cafes, galleries, spas and salons between Sixth and 14th Streets on Asbury. Along the parade route it lists B&B Department Store at 827 Asbury, now marking 50 years in business; Art On Asbury at 711, with work from more than 50 local artists; Bowfish Kids at 956; the Sneaker Shop at 704; Hooked on Breakfast at 916; and Chop Wave at 1000 Asbury. Eastward is a block past the parade's end, at 1059 Asbury. A block off the avenue, Holiday Coffee at 801 E. Eighth Street has outdoor seating, a kids' play area and an Italian coffee truck named "Mona." Off-season hours for these shops are worth checking directly before a visit.
While You Are Downtown, the Next Ocean City Is Being Decided
The two projects that will most change Ocean City's waterfront are being negotiated during these same weeks.
At the Wonderland site, OCNJ Daily reported on October 23 that the city is still negotiating with developer Eustace Mita. Councilman Tony Polcini said the Ferris wheel cannot be kept, and city officials put its repair at $2 million to $3 million plus about $500,000 to operate. Mayor Gillian told the outlet that restoring both the Ferris wheel and the carousel would cost millions, and he questioned whether state regulators would allow the carousel to return to public operation.
According to the same report, Councilman Keith Hartzell said council is working through 80 questions covering the proposed hotel's height, bulk, room types and entertainment. Mita's revised proposal is seven stories with fewer than 252 rooms, and the final room count is still open. Hartzell estimated that a development agreement could be negotiated within 30 to 60 days and expected public input, possibly at a town hall. Counting from that report, the window ends in late December. The Wonderland plan remains a proposal, not an approved redevelopment.
Out at Ocean City Municipal Airport, OCNJ Daily reported that City Council voted 7-0 on October 22 to award Weatherby Construction Corp. of Atlantic City a $7.4 million contract for the new terminal. That is $1.4 million above the earlier $6 million estimate. City spokesman Doug Bergen told the outlet that the extra $1.4 million would come from savings on other capital projects. Gillian said construction would start before the end of 2026 and take about 14 to 18 months.
In his message, Gillian said the Leon and Elizabeth Grisbaum Airport Terminal will replace a building that dates to the 1960s. A $3 million donation from Mr. Grisbaum will help pay for it, and the top floor will hold a full-service public restaurant with views of the runway, wetlands and bay. The city plans to bid out that restaurant once construction is further along.
After the Parade
The calendar continues past early December. The Atlantic City Ballet performs The Nutcracker, choreographed by Phyllis Papa, on December 6. First Night Ocean City closes the year on December 31 from 4 p.m. to midnight, with more than 70 events at more than 20 venues. By then, the city's schedule calls for the 800 block of Central Avenue to be cleared and awaiting construction, and for new deck to be going down between 14th and 16th Streets.
If you own on the island and are wondering how these projects might affect your block, or when your shore home could go on the market, Maria Doyle can walk you through it over a coffee on Asbury this season or by phone from the Main Line. Schedule Your Private Consultation.
