Following the success of last year’s Oceans Calling Festival, members of the board of license commissioners last week approved a pair of promoter’s licenses for a two-part concert series in Ocean City this fall.
An aerial view of last year’s Oceans Calling Festival is pictured.
File photo
By Bethany Hooper, Associate Editor
With fears and uncertainties allayed following the success of last year’s Oceans Calling Festival, officials this week approved a pair of promoter’s licenses for a two-part concert series in Ocean City this fall.
The Worcester County Board of License Commissioners (BLC) voted June 18 to approve two promoter’s license applications from Spectrum Concessions for this fall’s Oceans Calling and Country Calling music festivals. Attorney Mark Cropper said his client was seeking the same licenses, with the same terms and conditions, approved for last year’s Oceans Calling event.
“It’s essentially a repeat of the event that took place last year,” he said. “And it’s obviously inclusive of the Boardwalk and all the businesses that last year supported the event. All those businesses, likewise, are supporting the event this year.”
While acknowledging there were concerns about the size and scope of Oceans Calling prior to last year’s event, Mayor Rick Meehan said the promoter had exceeded all expectations. Seeing the success of last year, he said officials had encouraged the return of the event this year.
“They did everything they said they were going to do and did it very professionally,” he said.
Dave Smalley, the founder and CEO of Spectrum Concessions, said all the safeguards with regard to alcohol and security would remain for the coming year’s events. Officials added that both festivals had the support of city departments and Boardwalk businesses and would operate the same as last year’s inaugural event.
“They are following all the same parameters of the event,” Cropper said.
William Esham, chair of the BLC, noted that Tuesday’s hearing had been advertised and that no one had come to object to the applications. A motion to approve the promoter’s license applications, with the same terms and conditions as last year, for both the Oceans Calling Festival and the Country Calling Festival, passed unanimously with little discussion. Oceans Calling will be held Sept. 27-29, and Country Calling will be held Oct. 4-5.
“I can testify it was a success,” Esham said of last year’s festival.