what to do at the beach in the winter ocean city nj

When people retrieve about planning a vacation to the Jersey Shore, they usually plan to visit during the summer months. Afterwards all, there's plenty of lord's day, warm h2o and things to exercise.

But Ocean City, NJ doesn't hibernate once wintertime comes around. In fact, a family unit wintertime vacation at the beach can be ideal for people who are looking for fun-filled activities and fewer crowds. In that location'due south enough to practise at the beach in winter. Check out these nineteen options.

1. Gloat the Holidays

Even Santa knows information technology's fun to visit the embankment for a winter getaway. He makes his first appearance in Ocean Urban center at the end of November, right around Thanksgiving. Then, he normally comes back every weekend until Christmas Day for photograph ops. On Saturdays, he likes to hang around for breakfast, usually at a different downtown restaurant each week.

Santa'due south visits aren't the just holiday events to look frontwards to at the beach in winter, either. There are also free horse and railroad vehicle rides through downtown on the weekends, a Christmas parade at the beginning of December and a railroad train show.

2. Ring in the New Yr

A beach vacation in winter tin be the ideal mode to ring in the New year. Every Dec 31, Ocean City, NJ celebrates Offset Dark with a variety of events throughout the town. At that place are live musical performances in the evening, culminating in a fireworks display at midnight. Throughout the belatedly afternoon and into the evening, there are puppet shows, ice skating and entertainment rides, besides equally games and other performances.

Although the boondocks stays upward tardily on New year'due south Eve, it doesn't take New Year'south Day off. Instead, it throws a large party, known as Get-go Solar day at the Beach. The fun kicks off with a polar plunge into the ocean at 2 p.thousand. There's also a 5K run along the boardwalk and a shopping extravaganza in the afternoon, with many stores in the downtown area offering great deals and sales.

3. Brand Valentine'southward Day Something Special

If your idea of the perfect date is taking long walks on the embankment, and so you'll love spending the weekends around Valentine's Day in Sea City. Many restaurants downtown are open for Valentine's dinner, for couples or families.

The Ocean City Historical Museum as well holds its annual Children'due south Tea around Valentine's Day. The children'south tea teaches kids about the ritual of having high tea and includes plenty of fun arts & crafts projects and face painting.

4. Explore the Boardwalk

Strolling the boards isn't just an activity for the summer months. A wintertime vacation to the shore also provides the perfect opportunity for enjoying (almost) everything the Ocean City Boardwalk has to offer. While some stores and activities do shut downwards during the winter, more than of them stay open than you lot might think.

5. Play Miniature Golf

Did you know that Ocean City has 7 miniature golf courses? Several of them stay open rain, snow or shine, all winter long. Wintertime tin be the perfect fourth dimension to practice your putt-putt, equally fewer crowds hateful there'southward less of a chance that a line will form behind you while you get ready to take a swing.

6. Go Shopping

Similar miniature golf, many of the shops along the Boardwalk stay open all winter long. In fact, some stores use winter as a time to offer considerable savings and sales. If yous're a savvy shopper, a winter vacation to the beach can exist an excellent time to snag some bang-up deals.

You'll discover stores selling beachwear, T-shirts and accessories, toys, records and even holiday decorations. Don't forget all the shops that sell candy and sweets, such as saltwater taffy and caramel corn.

7. Experience the Arcade and Other Amusements

Absolutely, even the bravest of souls probably don't want to hop on a roller coaster or ride the Pirate Ship when it's forty degrees out. But that doesn't hateful all of the boardwalk'south amusements shut down for the flavour.

You can yet bring the family to the arcade for some archetype games such every bit Skeeball or popular video games. Some of the indoor rides stay open throughout the winter months, too.

8. Visit the Community Middle Circuitous

During the winter flavor, the heart of Ocean City moves abroad from the Boardwalk and over to the Community Center Circuitous. The community center houses the library, an arts eye, a senior center, a historical museum and an aquatic and fettle eye. All of them are teeming with family-friendly winter activities.

9. Visit the Body of water City Free Public Library

The free public library has events and activities scheduled yr-circular. It doesn't take a intermission during the wintertime. The library is open seven days a week, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays and until 5 p.k. on the weekends.

Amongst the events scheduled at the library during the winter are cooking classes. For example, last year, in accolade of National Croissant Day, on January 30, the library held two croissant baking classes.

The library also transforms into a picture theater a few times throughout the week. Its film programs include later on-schoolhouse movies for kids, Saturday afternoon movies — which are perfect if your beach weekend gets rained out or if it's freezing outside — and a classic film night.

Films aren't the only entertainment at the library this winter, though. Several musicians volition also perform throughout the flavor.

On January 18, at vii p.m., the "Piano Homo Scott" will drop by the library, tinkling the ivories and performing the songs of Billy Joel.

10. Get to the Sea City Arts Center

The Sea Metropolis Arts Eye has a new exhibition every month, every bit well as fine art classes for adults, teens and kids. Although the art classes are usually held for multi-calendar week sessions, the art center does offer the occasional one-24-hour interval workshop. If you've got any artists in your family, information technology can be worth checking the arts center's calendar to see if a workshop lines up with your wintertime holiday.

Exhibitions coming up at the Arts Center this winter include:

• Carla Migliaccio (January 2018) – Carla Migliaccio was born and raised in Ocean City, graduating from OCHS in 1974. She's always loved art but didn't begin to pursue information technology avidly until after she retired in 2010. She has taken some classes at the art center for the past decade and has been finding her manner and voice as an artist.
• "Seashore Lines" – Kevin Husta (February 2018) – Kevin Husta is a lensman based in Hammonton, NJ. His show at the arts middle will feature his photographs of the PA-Reading Seashore railroad lines. Many of the photos in the show will characteristic old railroad tracks and trains located in Cape May County.
• Judi Froehlinger Schlichter (March 2018) – Judi Froehlinger Schlichter is a fiber artist from Maryland. Her work, including tapestries, fine art quilts, accessories and clothing will exist on brandish throughout March at the arts center. Many of the pieces will exist for sale, with prices ranging from $85 for a small quilt to $2,500 for a more substantial quilt.

11. Bout the Ocean City Historical Museum

The historical museum is open year-round and is full of clothing, photos and other artifacts, all of which requite a visitor a thorough understanding of Ocean City'southward history and past as "America's Greatest Family Resort." The museum is open Monday through Saturday and stays open late on Thursdays, until 7 p.1000.

Along with its almanac Children'due south Tea, the museum hosts a number of other events and activities, including a lecture series on the town's history.

12. Get Some Practice at the Aquatic and Fitness Center

The ocean might be a bit too chilly for pond in during the winter — except for during the polar plunge, of course. But that doesn't mean that a winter beach getaway can't include some time in the water.

The puddle at the aquatic center is open daily, with scheduled times for free and lap swims. Although the center offers monthly and almanac memberships, it also offers a day charge per unit for families who are just visiting Ocean City.

13. Walk Around Downtown

Downtown Bounding main City doesn't go to sleep in the winter months, either. Many of 100 plus downtown shops, restaurants and art galleries stay open throughout the flavor. The downtown area is located on Asbury Artery, nigh halfway betwixt the beach and the bay. The shops and restaurants stretch from 6th Street to 14th Street.

xiv. Explore the Sea Urban center Fine Arts League

Located on Asbury Avenue in Downtown OC, the Fine Arts League is a co-op maintained by a grouping of artists and volunteers. The league formed in 2002.

It has a new exhibition every month throughout the year, with an opening reception for each show. It'south held on the second Fri of the calendar month, starting at half dozen p.grand. The Fine Arts League besides offers fine art classes, movie screenings and other activities on a regular ground.

15. Lookout a Pageant

Ocean City is abode to i of the virtually unique beauty pageants in the country. Mr. Mature America takes place on the Boardwalk, at the Music Pier, at the end of the winter. Information technology'south a pageant for men over the age of 55 and is the only pageant of its kind in the country.

Families looking for more traditional pageant events tin cheque out the Miss New Bailiwick of jersey Outstanding Teen pageant, which takes identify in January in Clayton, NJ. It's not held in Ocean City itself, but previous pageants have featured contestants who call Sea City habitation.

xvi. Get for a Bicycle Ride

For some people, a trip to the beach isn't complete without a bike ride or two. As long as there'south no snow on the basis, you can easily enjoy a long and leisurely bike ride through the streets of Bounding main City in the winter.

The boardwalk is too open to bikes throughout the winter. Fifty-fifty improve, you aren't restricted to riding your bike merely during the sure hours on the boardwalk during the off-season. Every bit long equally there isn't a special issue taking place on the boardwalk, you lot are free to ride your bike all mean solar day forth the boards.

For riders who don't enjoy the bumpy feeling the boards create, Body of water Metropolis has established a few designated bicycle routes. OC1 is the "family-friendly" route. Information technology stretches north to due south across the length of the island, for a total of vii miles. It's located on a shared roadway — not a dissever bike path.

For families who want to see all of the boondocks while they ride, Sea City has as well created a bike-centric art tour. Several murals and outdoor sculptures are located forth the designated wheel routes.

If you lot don't have your own bikes, you can rent them at several locations throughout the town. Remember to recollect condom first while riding and to follow the rules of the road. Any child rider nether 17 needs a helmet. Although not required by law, helmets are a adept idea for adult riders, too. If you'll be out later on nighttime, y'all demand to have a light on your bike equally well.

17. Volunteer

If your weekend getaway happens to coincide with Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, you tin can combine a family vacation with a bit of voluntourism. Ocean City, NJ participates in the MLK Jr. Solar day of Service.

Past volunteer opportunities on MLK Jr. Twenty-four hour period have included a city-broad cleanup outcome. It was preceded by a ceremony, during which King'south "I Have a Dream" speech communication was recited.

18. Have a Walk on the Embankment

Let's not forget the most of import reason to come to the shore in the heart of winter: the beach! If you haven't seen the Jersey Shore during the winter, you lot're in for a real treat. The beach tends to exist much quieter, every bit there aren't hundreds of sunbathers, swimmers and embankment volleyball players out and about.

Instead, you lot're treated to miles of nearly empty sand, which allows y'all to take a deep breath and a long, tranquility walk with the kids along the h2o'south edge.

19. Relax and Unwind

Everyone vacations differently. For some families, the idea of an action-parcel weekend trip, with plenty of activities, is perfect. Other families are looking to sit down dorsum, relax and relish a niggling quality time together.

At many of the hotels and motels throughout Ocean City, you're able to do just that. Some hotels take indoor, heated pools that stay open year round so that yous can get for a dip without stepping pes outside. Many hotels have on-site restaurants and room service, and so you don't accept to become far to get breakfast, tiffin or dinner. If yous volume a room in a hotel on the boardwalk with beachfront views, you can look out your window each morning to watch the ocean's waves lap the shore.

The days might be shorter and the weather libation, but winter is still the perfect fourth dimension to head to the shore. You'll miss the crowds, but you will still get to enjoy many of the delights of the beach — from tasting saltwater taffy to hearing the ocean'due south waves.

If you're looking for the perfect mid-wintertime pause for your family unit, commencement planning a trip to Ocean City, NJ today.

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Source: https://www.oceancityvacation.com/blog/19-things-to-do-in-ocean-city-nj-during-winter/

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