News Release

For immediate release
April 1, 2009
Media Contact: Donna Abbott
410-723-8609 (office)

Ocean City celebrates the season with Springfest 2009

Ocean City, MD - Springfest is a four-day festival filled with live entertainment, distinctive arts and crafts and plenty of delicious Eastern Shore food, all taking place Thursday through Sunday, May 7-10 at Ocean City’s Inlet Lot.

Celebrate the spring season with plenty of fun for all ages in and around four festive, big top tents. Many new and unique arts and crafts will be featured among the 186 artists. Satisfy your appetite with a delicious bounty of foods from famous Eastern Shore delicacies to a wide assortment of ethnic offerings and tempting desserts. Feast on crab cakes, pizza, barbecue, burgers and much, much more. Over 30 food and drink vendors will satisfy your taste buds during Springfest.

While admission to the four-day event is free, headline shows are offered each evening at 8 p.m. with paid admission. Thursday evening’s special concert features The Fabulous Hubcaps. Country music icon Randy Travis performs on the Springfest stage Friday night, and Gary Puckett of the Union Gap fame will be followed by The Association on Saturday night.

Tickets for headline acts are now on sale at the Ocean City Convention Center Box Office and will be available at the festival ticket booth on site. Box office hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday; or you can order tickets by calling TicketMaster at 800-551-SEAT; in Baltimore/Washington, call 410-547-SEAT.

Springfest also serves up a variety of free local and regional musical entertainment with sounds sweeping the scale from big band to rock and roll. This year Springfest presents The Diamonds, J.R. Booker, Frankie and the Pack, Sir Rod, The Groove Train, Randy Lee Ashcraft and the Saltwater Cowboys, Captain Quint, Rick K and the Allnighters, Mary Lou and the Untouchables, Jay D. Henley and The Stone Broke Band, The Janitors and the Recreation Line Dancers.

Added to the Springfest entertainment line-up this year are The Recliners, Jeff Miller, The Crawdaddies, Lady “A,” The Mobtown Hipcats and The Bleu Lights. On Sunday there will a special performance by the Zim Zemarel Orchestra at 3 p.m. and Jesse Garron’s Tribute to Elvis completes the festival entertainment at 4:30 p.m. Children’s roaming entertainment includes Lollipop The Clown on Sunday.

Springfest 2009 is open rain or shine from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., Thursday, May 7 through Saturday, May 9 and on Sunday, May 10, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. A special welcoming ceremony will be held on the outdoor stage on Thursday, May 7 at 10 a.m. featuring the Ocean City Elementary School’s OC Stars.

Since parking is restricted at Springfest, visitors are urged to ride city buses to the festival grounds. Ocean City offers a 24-hour, ride-all-day-for-$2 service. Attendees are encouraged to use the Park and Ride shuttle buses from the West Ocean City Park and Ride located just west of Ocean City on Route 50. Parking is free and the Park and Ride bus fare is just $1, good for all-day use.

Springfest visitors also are encouraged to take advantage of the special Springfest Express Shuttle, which offers non-stop service from the Convention Center south parking lot on 40th Street directly to the festival. Parking is free and the shuttle costs $2 to ride all day.

Additional park-and-ride locations with $2 bus service are: Public Safety Building at 65th St., Northside Park on 125th St. (walk to 125th St. bus stop), Ocean Plaza Mall at 94th St. and the Gold Coast Mall at 115th St.
The Boardwalk tram also offers service daily. The Boardwalk tram costs $3 per person one-way and delivers you directly to the Springfest grounds. Children under 42 inches are free. The tram runs daily from 10 a.m. to midnight and stops at various locations along the Boardwalk.

For more information about Springfest 2009, call Recreation and Parks at 410-250-0125 or Ocean City Department of Tourism at 1-800-OC-OCEAN.