The annual craft show held in Ocean City, New Jersey will head back to the shore on Saturday, October 10 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. spanning from 5th Street to 14th Street on Asbury Avenue. This craft fair has free entry and parking on all streets and city parking lots because it is open to the public. More than four-hundred craft vendors from throughout the region along with one hundred downtown stores and restaurants will sell a variety of crafts and foods. The event includes entertainment, food, public service displays and children’s activities. The forecast calls for a warm and sunny day with a slight breeze and a few clouds in the sky which is a perfect day to host the annual Ocean City craft fair.

“I feel that this event brings the community together. Everyone comes to Ocean City on this one day and helps support local vendors. It’s really exciting to be apart of this every year,” said one of the vendors, Holly Pearson.

Pearson sells handmade soaps that she makes in the basement of her house. It is a small startup business, but it is a hobby of hers that she does in her free time.

However, she is an accountant at a mortgage company as her full time job during the day. After her eight hour work day, she comes and works vigorously to make her soaps. She takes pride in her soaps because she works around two hours a night making them in order to please her customers. She comes to the craft show every year, and sells about three-hundred fifty soaps at the fair.

Pearson also tries to come up with different scents of soap each year to ensure that her customers do not get tired of the same soap. She will continue to come to the fair every year as long as Ocean City keeps hosting the event.  

Meghan Rode, a returning customer of the craft fair comes to this craft fair every year with her two daughters and husband. She said that new vendors attend the craft fair every year so it is never the same venue.

“I love this craft fair. It offers a variety of different vendors and is a great place to come with my family,”  said Rode. “The atmosphere is welcoming and safe and I always have a fun time whenever I come… I would highly recommend attending this event to anyone who hasn’t already done so.”

Another vendor, Mark Shore, owns a food truck that sells cheesesteaks, steak sandwiches, pizza, etc. His main goal is to satisfy his customers with his food after they’ve been walking on their feet all day looking at the different vendors.

“I try to make great food for my customers so they want to come back every year,” said Shore.

There is not better way to cap off the day’s festivities than with a fireworks display over the beach and boardwalk at 9:30 p.m.  It’s defnitely a way to send off a day dedicated to  supporting a community of small local busniesses with a bang.