Ocean City Guide: Discounted Beach Tags and Holiday Weekend Events

For many Jersey Shore residents and visitors, the countdown to summer is an annual ritual. And these are the folks who know the correct number in the countdown is three.

Despite what astronomers and meteorologists continue to maintain, summer does not start June 21. It begins on Saturday, the first day of Memorial Day Weekend.

So here's what you need to know if you're planning to get your summer started in Ocean City. (If you're heading to Sea Isle City, we'll forgive you. To Wildwood, we won't.)

• If you're planning on returning to O.C. more than a couple times this summer, make sure to buy your seasonal beach tags this weekend. They're on sale for a discounted $20 through May 31. After that, they go up to $25. Check out: .
• For those of us old-timers lucky enough to see Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes in various bars over the years, the atmosphere on the Music Pier in dry Ocean City won't quite be the same. But the Saturday-night concert still promises to be one of the highlights of the weekend events in Ocean City. The lineup includes all the usual gags and gimmicks--the "Unlocking of the Ocean" and the fully-clothed "Business Persons Plunge" among them. Here's the .
• The only event that ever really matters in Ocean City is the weather, and the early reports are pretty promising. But predicting the weather on the barrier islands is a dicey proposition, so you can always check the "Morning Island Report" posted every day at Ocean City Patch. We'll update you on what's happening as we see it from the beach--and on all the things the weather forecast won't tell you: ocean water temperatures, surf conditions, jellyfish, anything that might affect your day on the beach and boardwalk.

Hope to see you all this weekend, and I'll try to keep you updated regularly on happenings in Ocean City--maybe as soon as tomorrow with an update on road construction heading onto the island.

Doug Bergen is editor of Ocean City Patch.