By Tara Fischer

Staff Writer

Ocean Pines’ second annual season kickoff, held last Saturday, was considered a success despite key differences from last year, including a location and date change.

The Ocean Pines Association’s season kickoff, a festival where neighborhood amenities, clubs, organizations, and local businesses are given an opportunity to showcase all they have to offer to Ocean Pines residents and visitors, was held on the morning of May 17.

Organizers confirmed that the event’s second year was successful, pulling in hundreds of attendees in its mission to strengthen community involvement.

One notable difference between last week’s kickoff and its inaugural year was a change in location. In 2024, the festival was held at White Horse Park.

This time around, however, vendors and attendees flocked to the Worcester County Veterans Memorial Park in Ocean Pines.

Communications Committee leader Linda Yurche co-chaired the event with Aquatics Advisory Committee head Gary Miller. Yurche said the location alteration was made to allow more vendor space, increasing the organizations residents could access. The modification proved successful.

Not only were more groups able to participate, 97 compared to 82 last year, but the memorial space provided ease of access that White Horse Park did not.

“We loved White Horse Park, but at the Veterans Memorial, we had an easier time getting vendors in and out, and people had room to set up with their vehicles nearby, which helped the vendors a lot,” Yurche said. “Also, we had a big flat ground instead of trying to squeeze tables in between trees and things. It definitely was a good location.”

The site change was also beneficial for attendees. Even though White Horse Park seemed to have more lanes and driving space, the veteran park provided guests with more parking options, like the library, the grass, and the lot next to Taylor Bank.

The Flags for Heroes, a bouquet of American Flags placed in preparation for Memorial Day, was also set up ahead of the event, adding a pleasant backdrop to the kickoff.

A downside to using the remembrance space, however, was the weather. According to the co-chair, when the winds picked up during the event, which was held on a particularly stormy weekend, the tents “took a beating” as the lack of trees provided zero sheltering, unlike the wooded White Horse Park. Still, the Veterans Memorial’s vast open space offered a view missing from last year’s kickoff.

“I think it was the right move to move to [the Veterans Memorial],” Yurche said. “It looked beautiful, you could really see all these vendors in a way that was harder to do at White Horse Park.”

This year was so successful that food vendors have already asked organizers about their plans for the 2026 event. Grateful Grub food truck, for instance, is looking to be involved moving forward. Yurche noted that the crew did well, bringing many customers to their refreshment truck.

The new pavilion at the Veterans Memorial, completed in November, housed picnic tables for attendees to eat lunch and relax in the shade between booth browsing. The co-chair said this was a valuable addition, as it formally introduced the new structure to the community.

“People have seen that pavilion going up; it’s only been up for less than a year, and they’ve seen it going up, but many people haven’t checked it out,” she said.  “It was such a beautiful day to sit at a picnic table at that pavilion, listen to music, and eat lunch. We thought that part turned out especially well.”

Additionally, Yurche said two bands from Stephen Decatur High School, the marching band and a jazz ensemble, performed at the kickoff. The marching band opened the festival with the national anthem and a few other pieces, while the jazz ensemble played various tunes on stage.

“So many Ocean Pines kids go to Stephen Decatur, so it was cool to reinforce that connection between the school and the community,” Yurche added.

The event was held a little later than its first year, which organizers hope to address next time. The kickoff occurred in late April in 2024, but in mid-May this year. The co-chair noted that her team ran into roadblocks regarding scheduling when planning the festival, like Easter, Springfest, and Mother’s Day. Even in an attempt to avoid these festivities, last week’s event still competed with the annual Bay Day held in Ocean Pines, which took place on Sunday, and Boardwalk Rock in Ocean City.

Moving forward, event planners hope to maintain an April date.

“I think I would go back to an April date if it works out in the calendar because there are so many other things going on,” Yurche said. “You had Boardwalk Rock, there were a ton of other things going on in the area this weekend that we ended up competing with. I think we would probably go back to April, where we felt like we were the main attraction in town for that day.”

Yurche noted that the volunteers, sponsors, and the community’s public works department made the kickoff a reality.

“Last year and this year, we had incredible sponsors,” she said. “I mean, TidalHealth repeatedly steps up in our community to make things happen that otherwise wouldn’t happen. The sponsors like TidalHealth, Atlantic General Hospital, Taylor Bank, and others stepped up.”

Furthermore, the kickoff is primarily put on through volunteerism.

“This event, unlike some others in Ocean Pines, is 90% by volunteers,” Yurche maintained. “All of us gave our time to make this event, and I feel like that’s one of the things that makes it special. It’s an official OPA event, but it’s driven by volunteers who make it happen. I’m really proud of our volunteers and how hard they worked.”

While organizers look forward to next year, they are soaking up the success of the second annual kickoff. Even the weekend’s unpredictable weather did not deter OPA residents from flocking to the park to take in all their community has to offer.

“We believe there were hundreds of people,” Yurche said. “All of our vendors seemed to be busy constantly. Given the wind, the rain earlier in the day, and the hot sun, we were surprised that it was constantly busy. I think it’s safe to say there were hundreds [of guests].”