OC Today WWW.OCEANCITYTODAY.COM
SEPTEMBER 23, 2022
SERVING NORTHERN WORCESTER COUNTY
BERLIN
FIDDLERS CONVENTION
Town set to kick off 30th annual bluegrass festival and competition this weekend – Page 25
FREE
Traffic patterns released for festival Philadelphia gets special attention as city maps out Oceans Calling strategy
By Mallory Panuska Staff Writer (Sept. 23, 2022) Ocean City officials have released guidelines and in-
formation to make sure everyone attending the Oceans Calling Festival next weekend knows what to expect when traveling to and from the busy downtown venue. In a news release issued Wednesday, concertgoers were advised to expect congestion and limited parking in the downtown areas from the
Route 50 bridge to 33rd Street from about 11 a.m. to midnight. The three-day festival, which will feature big-name ’90s and 2000s bands and artists playing on multiple stages set up in and around the inlet parking lot, will begin next Friday, Sept. 30 and run through next Sunday. The live music event is expected
to attract the biggest crowd the resort has likely ever seen for a single event, and officials are making sure everything from traffic and parking, to police, fire and emergency services are intricately planned out. Last week, city officials said they would advise people to avoid driving See CITY Page 4
Sportsplex land deal extended Closing put off until Jan. 23 as county looks for funds
LISA CAPITELLI/OCEAN CITY TODAY
LINED UP
It was head-in parking only at the convention center parking lot last Saturday as just a small portion of the tens of thousands of motorcycle enthusiasts who came to town last week for OC BikeFest took time off from riding to check out the many vendors set up there. All-in-all, the event went off smoothly, despite the presence of some outlaw bike gang members and a pair of deadly accidents. Story on page 21.
Resort’s first gun show follows strict rules By Mallory Panuska Staff Writer (Sept. 23, 2022) “Sun’s out, gun’s out” is taking on a more literal meaning this weekend in Ocean City at the inaugural kick-off of OC AdventureFest.
Big, or ironically small, arm muscles popping out of tank tops will take a back seat to actual guns on display for the resort’s first-ever gun show, which will also encompass the whole outdoor hunting and sports world while leaning in heavily to law en-
forcement and military themes. Set Thursday through Sunday at the Ocean City convention center, the event also serves as the first tangible attempt to edge out the tuner car enthusiasts who have wreaked havoc See STRICT Page 6
By Greg Wehner Staff Writer (Sept. 23, 2022) The Worcester County Commissioners and the owners of the possible sports complex property on Route 50 near Stephen Decatur High School have agreed to push the closing date on the purchase of the 94.5-acre parcel for $7.15 million to allow the county to find a funding source. Although the closing was originally slated for Sept. 29, the sellers Helen F. Faucette, Hale Harrison, and John Henry Harrison have agreed to extend that date to Jan. 31, 2023. On April 19, the Worcester County Commissioners voted to buy the land for the complex. Originally, the money was to come from the sale of $11.2 million in bonds earmarked for financing a portion of the costs of designing, engineering, construction, equipping, and furnishing the facility. The decision to push the date back to January comes just three months after County Chief Administrative Officer Weston Young revealed that the See SPORTSPLEX Page 3