OCEAN CITY — Ocean City celebrates the start of the season with the 25th Annual Springfest, which started yesterday and runs through Sunday at the Inlet parking lot.
Families looking to make Mom’s day with a trip to Ocean City can enjoy the amenities of Springfest, rated the No. 5 Arts and Crafts Show in the United States, and take in the historic Boardwalk and beach. The event features over 250 vendors selling art and crafts and visitors should also bring their appetite. The vendor list includes 30 food vendors serving a variety of offerings, from famous Eastern Shore delicacies to a wide assortment of ethnic food.
A variety of live entertainment on two stages provides music all day long with anchoring headline acts. The event is free, including all entertainment, with the exception of the headline acts.
Country music’s legendary recording artist Vince Gill will perform to a sold-out audience Friday night in Springfest’s Entertainment Pavilion. Inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, Gill has recorded more than 20 studio albums, charted over 40 singles on the U.S. Billboard charts and has sold more than 26 million albums.
On Saturday night, rock legends Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo will perform. Benatar has always been a trail-blazer and now graces the stage as a living legend with more than three decades in rock ‘n’ roll. In 1979, Benatar was introduced to Giraldo leading to a winning partnership in music and, in 1982, in marriage. Together, with Benatar as vocal lead and Giraldo on guitar, keyboards and often as producer, they achieved two Multi-Platinum albums, five Platinum albums, three Gold albums and 19 Top 40 singles.
Also during Springfest visitors can purchase tickets early for the Sunfest headlining acts.
Tony Orlando takes the stage Thursday, Sept. 24. Wynonna and the Big Noise bring live country back to the beach Friday, Sept. 25. Sunfest turns up the volume Saturday, Sept. 26 with back-to-back performances by the Spin Doctors and Gin Blossoms. All ticketed Sunfest shows begin at 8 p.m. Tickets are available at the Springfest Entertainment Pavilion ticket booth.
Since parking in the downtown area is limited, the Town of Ocean City will offer shuttle bus service to and from the West Ocean City Park and Ride on Route 50 beginning at 6 a.m. Thursday, May 7 and operating throughout the event, May 7-10. When the Ocean City Park and Ride service is not available, Shore Transit will provide service to and from both the Park and Ride and the South End Transit Station. For more information about the West Ocean City Park and Ride service, call the Ocean City Transportation Department at 410-723-1606.
Hours Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m.-6 p.m. To celebrate the 25th Anniversary, fireworks will take place Saturday evening following the concert pending weather with Sunday evening as a rain date.