Downtown Shopping

We have it all. . .Ocean City’s Asbury Avenue shopping district is the heart of our quintessential small town.   Lined with unique shops and restaurants, “the avenue” is the perfect spot for whiling away a lazy summer day, running important errands, or selecting perfect holiday gifts.  Over 100 mostly family-owned businesses feature both merchandise and ambiance unlike anything you will find in cookie-cutter malls.  Shop for everything from hardware to fine furnishings; apparel and jewelry to books and music.  There are antique shops, florists and art galleries, too.  The downtown also provides your link to a myriad of services like interior design, remodeling, dry cleaning and hair styling.  Fresh baked goods, homemade confections, plus a variety of cafes, delis and restaurants, tempt the taste buds with a wonderful selection of delectable foods and treats.

Our downtown is open year-round.  Here are some family shopping events you don’t want to miss. . .

• Farmers Market – the freshest of local produce, flowers and specialty items.  Tabernacle grounds between 5th & 6th Streets, every Wednesday, summer months.
• Evenings on Asbury Avenue – offering a fun-filled night of music, dancing, shopping, prizes and art.  Between 6th & 11th Streets, Wednesday from 6-9pm, summer months.
• Fantastic Tuesdays – Every Tuesday from 10an-1pm, summer months.
• Family Film Night – on the Second Floor of Stainton’s, Tuesday’s, summer months.
• Market Days – offering free pony rides, face painters, magic, puppet shows and live music to entertain the old and young.  Thursdays from 10am – 1pm, summer months.
• Hospitality Night – each December kicks off our holiday shopping season.
  
  

Throughout the seasons, the downtown hosts a wide array of special events and activities.  Spring and Fall Block Parties bracket the summer months and fill Asbury Avenue with crowds that spill into the streets enjoying the food, crafts, and entertainment.  Stroll from booth to booth selecting carefully handcrafted articles and munching a sausage sandwich, tangy barbecued beef or pork, or a crab cake slathered in tarter sauce.  In addition to the other summertime evens listed above, there are weekly Inn to Inn Tours that commence at 7th Street and Central Avenue on Thursdays.  Beginning at 2:00pm, an old-fashioned trolley winds its way through center city neighborhoods for an intimate visit to four or five bed and breakfasts.  Afternoon refreshments are offered at the conclusion of the tours.

Autumn offers brisk and sunny weather and a new round of activities.  End-of-season sales are a favorite with bargain shoppers.  Then families (and the young-at-heart) eagerly anticipate Halloween fun including the annual parade down Asbury Avenue featuring marching bands, floats, and scores of youngsters in festive costumes.  Around Thanksgiving, the winter holiday season begins in earnest.  Downtown streets and shops are garlanded with seasonal décor, banners and twinkling lights.  Stores overflow with unique merchandise of every description – enough to fulfill the desires of everyone on your shopping list.  Experience the magic of our small town at this most festive season during Christmas Hospitality Weekend.  Bundle up to view the Christmas Parade and share in the excitement of Santa’s arrival; then enjoy a free carriage ride through the downtown with that “jolly old elf” every weekend in December.

Additional stores and restaurants are conveniently scattered throughout the island neighborhoods – many are open year round.