OCEAN CITY – A tight-knit community of Ocean City business owners will host their second annual holiday block party this Saturday, Dec. 10.
Thirteen venues from 33rd to 36th streets will be giving patrons free treats, drinks and discounts, and individuals who provide donations for Diakonia will receive additional discounts at participating locations.
Ish Boutique co-owner Christina Pohland said her store started collecting donations for the local non-profit four years ago, at yearly “girl’s night out” events.
But after Planet Maze owners asked to join the donation drive, Pohland realized the potential collaboration.
Since then, she and her partner Jenny Carven have worked with Planet Maze co-owner Jamie Albright to create a holiday celebration and charity drive for the community.
“Together we can do better than individually,” Albright said. “Planet Maze has been here 21 years, and we’ve never had three blocks of walking distance for stores. All of a sudden we have this corridor of businesses right in the middle of Ocean City.”
Pohland said the area’s commercial marketplace has grown exponentially in recent years and businesses have flourished.
“We started this last year because our neighborhood has built up in the past five to eight years,” she said. “So I said, ‘Let’s do a block party.’”
With the approval of several businesses, Pohland said the first block party quickly became a success. Now, business owners are going for a second round.
Albright compares the event to a community within a community, similar to Berlin Main Street or the Boardwalk.
“We are getting to the point where we have our own little division,” she said. “Hopefully the response will grow.”
Pohland said she hopes this year’s block party will double in attendance and will provide Diakonia with more donations.
She and Albright encourage participants to bring clothes, canned goods, paper products, coats, gloves, scarfs and more.
“It’s a great win-win,” Albright said. “It’s a good day to do something with the family in Ocean City.”
A list of participating businesses and discounts are as followed:
Barn 34: 7:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. Happy Hour prices all day and live music at 8 p.m.
Endless Summer Surf Shop: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. A $99 surfboard sale, Endless Summer apparel buy-one-get-one free, free hot chocolate/snowball weather dependent.
Ish Boutique: Special features 25 percent off your entire purchase, sweets, treats and complimentary gift-wrapping.
Real Raw Organics: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., featuring $8 Acai and dragon fruit bowls, 10 percent off select grocery items and merchandise, every $50 gift card purchased receives a free Kombucha
K-Coast Surf Shop: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Get a $20 gift card for every $100 purchase of Uggs and clothing (no limit), in-store sales and special buys throughout the shop
Senor Cigars: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Ashton Premium House Cigars $3.99 each, Alec Bradley House Blend 5 Pack $11.99, 25 percent off torch lighters, cigar cutters and accessories, Humidor gift sets $25-$100, free coffee
Planet Maze: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Ten free arcade tokens with a purchase of any attraction, sweets and hot chocolate served
Tony Luke’s: 10 a.m. to 12 a.m. Buy any sandwich get one free with a purchase of two fountain drinks, free milkshake with a purchase of a kids meal, free hot chocolate with a purchase of any dessert, decorate an ornament on our tree and sign up for our rewards club to enter a drawing for a free lunch1
Ocean Atlantic Surf Shop: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., featuring its popular $100 sale.
Guidos Burritos: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., featuring 20 percent off entire check, if you bring a donation receive an extra 5 percent off your check
Shotti’s Point: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Twenty percent off, 25 percent off if donation is given, free truffle popcorn and amuse bouche served.
OC Wasabi: 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., featuring $4.50 large sake and 20 percent off all food (dine-in only).
Hilton Hotel: Special $99 room rates with promo code “blockparty”
