Or bring your blanket or chair to North Division Street and the Boardwalk.  At 8 pm the United States Navy Band and Sea Chanters will perform a patriotic concert.  Fireworks over the Ocean will begin at 9:30 pm.

Parking is limited, so take the bus to either location for $2.

For more information on July 4th events,  call the Recreation and Parks Department at 410-250-0125 or the Ocean City Department of Tourism at 1-800-626-2326, or visit www.ococean.com

On Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday from 5 pm to 9pm, Coins offers 1/2 price entrees.  If you order a crab or steak entree, you add $4.  For about $15.00, I had two delicious crab cakes with a salad and baked potato.  Happy Hour is daily from 3 to 6 pm with drink and food specials.  They also offer an Early Bird menu from 4 pm to 6 pm.

Wednesday night is prime rib night.  Sink your teeth into a 16 ounce prime rib for only $13.99.   Coins has a bar and dining area.  They have 5 big screens to watch your favorite sports, keno and Buzztime Trivia.  Although if you're sitting at the bar and Kathy happens to be bartending, that's all the entertainment you'll need!
28th Street Plaza
2820 Coastal Highway
410-289-3100

They also offer great meals, like crab imperial or a steak dinner with two sides for prices between $9.95 and $12.95 at the bar during HappyHour, which runs until 7:00 pm. Right now in the restaurant all their meals are half-price.
Sunday night is a favorite night for the locals with entertainment by Bob Hughes from 5 pm to 9 pm. Wear your dancing shoes and work off some of those calories you just ingested with their special on Sunday--a delicious 16 ounce prime rib with two sides for $10.95.

Outriggers is located on Rt. 54 (Lighthouse Road).
They are open Thursday through Sunday during the off-season.

Call for hours and specials - 302-436-7700

For more information on the festival go to http://www.kiteloft.com/article,3,3,14th-Annual-Maryland-International-Kite-Exposition-.htm

The event is free and runs from 6 to 10 pm.  Sunset Park is located south of the Rt. 50 bridge toward the Inlet.  Parking is available in the municipal lots opposite the park.

For more information call the Ocean City Recreation and Parks Department at 410-250-0125.

We have a monthly First Friday reception that kicks off our exhibit for the month.

Our next exhibit is Through the Lens Sept 4-30 with opening reception Fri., 9/7, 5 - 7 p.m. It is free and open to the public. Light, homemade refreshments are served. All receptions at ALOC gallery 502 94th St., Ocean City 410.524.9433

We have our 3rd Annual Sand Castle Home Tour on Thurs. & Fri., Sept. 20 & 21. Ten distinctive Ocean City area homes are featured. Tickets are $25 for both days, Checks should be sent to P. O. Box 4206, Ocean City, MD 21843

Every Wednesday evening from 8:00 to 9:30 pm, you can enjoy a free concert on the beach at North Division Street. The following is the schedule for the rest of the summer:

August 8th
Jay Henley & The Stone Broke Band - Country

August 15th
Captain Quint - Tropical Rock & Roll

August 22nd
The Beach Bumz - Beach Party Band

August 20th
Randy Lee Ashcroft & The Saltwater Cowboys-Beach/Country

During Labor Day weekend, there will be free concerts on both Saturday, September 1st and Sunday, September 2nd. On Saturday, the band Hotel California will entertain with an Eagles Tribute and on Sunday, Captain Fantastic will perform an Elton John Tribute.

Give your wallet a break and grab your beach chair or a blanket and head to the beach at North Division Street. All concerts begin at 8 pm.

Photo courtesy of Town of Ocean City Tourism Office 

The Twister was the fastest ferry to Smith Island. The ferry was clean and you could sit either on the very top, inside or on the bow. The trip took about an hour.  We enjoyed  the beautiful scenery on the Tangier Sound, while chatting with other passengers.

The boat docked at the pier of Bayside Inn Restaurant and we all went inside for lunch. It's a large family-style restaurant with a gift shop. We had great service and everyone was very friendly. I ordered the crab cakes and although good and mostly crab meat...I was disappointed that there were no lumps of crab in the cakes. My husband enjoyed his prime rib, small but tender.

I was really eager to explore the Island, so after lunch we went to the carry-out and picked up a map...which we found not to be necessary. We were told we could rent a golf cart or bikes to explore the Island, but decided to walk. There was another little sandwich shop, a small museum, a couple of antique shops, and a gift shop. Not exactly a lot to see! We also had company...some of the biggest flies I've ever seen and lots of them!

We decided to go back to the carryout and rent a golf cart, hoping we could outrun the flies.  Luckily, we rented the cart for only a 1/2 hour because within 2o minutes we had seen the whole Island. No one was outside, (because of the flies?) and other than the few public places I mentioned, a church, graveyard and elementary school were the only buildings besides private homes to see.

We stopped in the gift shop and had a very nice conversation with one of the Islanders. She loves living on the Island and said there is no crime on Smith Island. They don't have a police department and any little problems that occur are handled by the preacher. There are a little over 200 people living on Smith Island. Crabbing is the only way to make a living and that is becoming more and more difficult, so many are moving to the mainland for jobs.

We stopped back at the restaurant and had a piece of the famous Smith Island Cake made by one of the residents. It is made with 10 thin layers of cake with icing on each layer. Delicious! Then we sat on the porch and had a nice chat with other people waiting to board the ferry for our return trip. Most everyone agreed that while we enjoyed the ferry ride and the hospitality of the Islanders, there was not much to do or see on Smith Island.

If you'd like to go to Smith Island, the ferry departs daily at 12:30 pm, Memorial Day weekend through mid-October. You should call first to be sure the ferry is running that day (they may cancel a trip due to inclement weather or not enough people to take the boat out) and to make reservations. 410-425-2771.

www.smithislandcruises.com

Slips, boats still available for White Marlin Open

Ocean City, MD --- Thinking about fishing in this year's White Marlin Open? It's not too late. Boat slips and charter boats are still available for the 34th annual event being held Aug. 6-10at Harbour Island Marina in Ocean City

Anglers in this year's tournament will compete for an estimated $3.5 million in prize money with over $1.5 million awarded to the first place white marlin. Don’t miss out on your opportunity to win big

Basic entry into the White Marlin Open is $1,000 per boat with unlimited anglers. Added entry levels are available and range from $50 to $5,000. For more information or help obtaining a charter or boat slip, please call Jim Motsko at 410-289-9229You can also visit www.whitemarlinopen.com

You can sit at the bar, at the many tables with umbrellas or lay on the beach in front of the hotel and have your drinks and sandwiches delivered right to the beach. (11 am to 3 pm).

There is live music every day from 1 pm to 5 pm and from 5 pm to 6 pm their "Fastest Happy Hour on the Beach" offers 2-for-1 drink specials.

The Castle in the Sand Hotel is located at 37th & 38th Street and the Ocean. They have free parking and open at 11:00 am. Kid's menu is also available.