Ocean City’s popular New Year’s Eve event will return for the 31st time this year, and families throughout the region are ready to celebrate. First Night offers more than 70 entertainment programs at 20 different venues throughout town. The lineup includes entertainment and activities to satisfy every taste and age group. A fireworks display rings in the new year at midnight. The fun continues on New Year’s Day with a 5-kilometer run on the Boardwalk and the First Plunge in the Atlantic Ocean.

The Sensational Soul Cruisers will return this year, and other returning favorites include the ice-skating rink, inflatables, rides at Wonderland Pier, the Harlem Wizards, a karaoke party, magician Chad Juros, a Country Line Dance Experience and Dustin Dean!

Here’s a guide to how to enjoy First Night and First Day in Ocean City.

WHEN: First Night events run 4 p.m. to midnight on Sunday, Dec. 31. The First Day 5K starts at 1 p.m. and the First Plunge goes off at 2 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 1.

ADMISSION BUTTONS: Buttons ($17/$22, inclusive of service fee) are good for all events. Children under age 2 are free.

PARKING AND TRANSPORTATION: All municipal parking lots and metered parking spots are free. Jitneys will provide free transportation from 5 p.m. until 12:30 a.m. for button-holders, operating continuously between all venues starting at the Ocean City Transportation Center (Ninth Street and Haven Avenue) and Seventh Street Parking Lot (Seventh Street and Central Ave.).

For a route map and complete information click here.

DINING AND SHOPPING: Food and drink will be for sale at Ocean City High School (Sack O’ Subs), Wonderland Pier (6th Street Pizza and Grill), Ocean City Community Center (at the cafe) with snack stands at St. Peter’s United Methodist Church and the Civic Center.

KICKOFF: Everybody is invited to the Ocean City Music Pier at 3:45 p.m. for the official ribbon-cutting to open the 2024 festivities.

OTHER FUN ACTIVITIES: Stop by the Music Pier to see the First Night ice sculpture. Interactive photo booths will be set up in the Ocean City High School cafeteria, the Community Center and the Civic Center.

HISTORY: First Night in Ocean City was modeled after an alcohol-free New Year’s Eve celebration in Boston that marked the nation’s bicentennial in 1976. The first celebration in Ocean City in 1992 included 25 entertainment acts in five different locations with admission buttons selling for $8 ($5 before Dec. 26). About 800 buttons were sold. While other First Night events have faded, Ocean City's has only grown more popular with families making it an annual tradition for a safe New Year's Eve. Today, attendance is capped at 10,000 with admission buttons selling out year after year. Through the years, the event has been sustained by the selfless dedication of volunteers, board members and sponsors.

SPONSORS: City of Ocean City, Cape May County Division of Culture and Heritage (Funding for First Night has been made possible in part by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Cape May County Board of County Commissioners through the Cape May County Division of Culture & Heritage Re-Grant Program), Ocean City Regional Chamber of Commerce, Ocean City Free Public Library, Gillian’s Wonderland Pier, McMahon Insurance Agency and Atlantic City Electric.