Lucky Number 9~~~

Social Column 9

What a weekend! As you know by following my column, I was really looking forward to Springfest in Ocean City this past weekend.
Life happens, though, and the event collided with my full-time day job, and a weekend full of company. You see, my nephew Christopher and his beautiful bride to be, Melissa, are getting married in Berlin on May 21st. They live in the Virginia Beach area, and came this weekend to coordinate their last minute wedding plans. Why am I telling you this? They are getting married at The Merry Sherwood, just outside of Berlin, and I can't wait to let you know what a wedding at the Eastern Shore’s premier civil war era dwelling is like. Alot of our out of town guests are also staying at The Atlantic Hotel in Berlin, so I will be sharing their experiences, also.(And probably a few of their famous martinis).
Back to Springfest. Though I itched to make it earlier, I didn't actually step foot inside the inlet fairgrounds until 3pm Sunday, the closing day. I was nervous about parking, especially since I had heard that parking was very expensive, and hard to come by in Ocean City proper. I drove over the Route 50 bridge anyway, deciding it would be better to see for myself whether it was a hassle.
It kinda was. There was lots of traffic, but, I lucked into the perfect solution. Go have lunch first at The Marina Deck, just off of Dorchester St. They have a great seafood and snack menu, and their parking lot was free, if you ate lunch before going to Springfest. They also presented my sister and I with a gift coupon and carnation for Mother's Day, which was unexpected and a lovely touch. Tip; the fried soft-shelled crab was delicious, as was the tropical salad and crabcake sandwich. As we happily munched and chatted, I couldn't help but sigh with pleasure at the bayside view of the dock and charter boats, just 20 feet from our table. My family headed home, and I walked the 6 blocks or so to Springfest. My breath caught as I first sighted the billowing white tents against the bright blue sky. The beach stretched in front of me, and a boardwalk train ferried people back and fro. Did I die and go to heaven? What a beautiful place to party! No WONDER people visit here.... Hundreds of people milled about, and the center stage was alive with Beach Boy era music, and people swaying to the beat. There was a saucy clown named Lollipop, who made free balloon animals for kids. Tent after tent with food, arts and crafts, and entertainment. Kids got to rock climb a mountain, and there was a giant inflatable slide, too. If that wasn't enough, the nearby boardwalk was kicked up in high gear, full of souvenir shops and even more regional "fast food". If you didn't go this year, you have GOT to go next year. Personally, I will clear my calendar, and make it a point to enjoy the night-time entertainment too. See you next week!