If crowding was the main concern for fireworks on the 4th of July being scrapped in favor of beefing up the planned New Year’s Eve fireworks, it would seem logical for Ocean City not to support the rescheduling of the annual air show.
Like most folks, we enjoy the Ocean City Air Show each year. From a business perspective, we think Ocean City will thrive in August with the air show following the two strong back-to-back White Marlin Open weekends. However, it’s a fact thousands of people are converge on the beach around 16th Street to get the best vantage points of the event.
The criticism the resort has received once the new air show date was announced and the holiday fireworks displays were canceled is valid. For the air show, social distancing will not be followed as beach-goers will seek out the best viewing angle possible. This was the argument against having fireworks on the beach and at Northside Park.
Those of us who know the air show realize full well you can view the event almost as well a mile north up the beach, but that’s not common knowledge. Some people want to generally avoid the crowds anyway and take whatever views they can get from their preferred beach area. The majority, however, will center around the main show area.
Ocean City has been responsible with most of its decisions during this pandemic, including grounding the holiday fireworks and potentially shuttering Boardwalk tram through the summer. Erring on the side of caution to reduce the spread has been the thought. Allowing the air show to take place is one call where criticism is warranted. It’s inconsistent based on previous decisions.
