Sunfest is back and bigger than ever in Ocean City, MD this weekend to celebrate its 47th year in town! The annual beach festival at the Inlet is an OCMD favorite for all ages, attracting thousands of attendees each year. This year there are new attractions for all.

The FREE four-day art, food, and music festival feature artisans and musicians from all over the country showcasing their skills. Boardwalk bites and classic Eastern Shore goodies will satisfy the appetite you’ll work up by participating in the fun Sunfest fall activities. Explore OC will be on the scene bringing you updates about the event! Read more about what’s to come and check back in afterward for the Explore Experience.

Sunfest 2022 Events

Vendors

Sunfest features over 200 artists from all over the country selling handmade art and craft creations. Start your holiday shopping and find something for everyone on your list with items including clothing, jewelry, home decor, pottery, woodwork, photography, and more.

Live Music

All four days are packed with live music starting at 10 AM every day. The full lineup of musicians includes local performers and some from across the globe all for FREE. Check out the two outdoor stages and see your favorite artists like the Chris Sacks Band, The Fabulous Hubcaps, SuperTransAM, Monkee Paw, and Lombardy.

Food

While you shop and listen to music, you’ll have plenty of delicious food options to choose from. With so many tasty smells pulling you in different directions, the hardest part is deciding what to pick! Eastern Shore crab cakes, gyros, pit beef, fried Oreos, soft pretzels, and so much more. Plus, there will be plenty of beer, wine, and drinks to sip on at the Craft Beer Garden.

Activities

The whole family will love the activity schedule for Sunfest! Enjoy Halloween-themed fun like the Halloween Beach Maze, beach tractor hay rides, the Great Pumpkin Race on Saturday, and the Howl-O-Ween Pet Parade on Sunday. Besides the fall festivities, each day has a full schedule of fun, from Delmarva DockDogs demonstrations, Bike De Beach events, Beach Tennis games, cornhole competitions, and more.

Stay up to date with all the Sunfest fun on Explore OC’s Facebook and Instagram! Plus, check back in next week for the Explore Experience—what the festival was really like and photos from the event.

Explore Experience

Although the weekend at Sunfest was cut short by the weather, the three days that went on were a success! The beach maze was set up with spooky decor and had attendees of all ages working their way through the sand. Walking down the boardwalk to get to the event, it was like summertime all over again with families enjoying Thrasher’s Fries, playing games, and enjoying the nice weather with the goodies they picked up from the many vendors at the festival. 

Once you enter the festival there were food stands with prepackaged treats like kettle corn, pretzels, jerky, cinnamon roasted nuts, pastries, and more. Other food vendors prepared smoked barbecue and served freshly squeezed lemonade, gigantic hand-dipped corndogs, pierogies, crab cakes, and wraps.  

The Shore Craft Beer Garden hosted the well-known Burley Oak Beer truck offering all-time favorite beers like Rude Boy and Sea Heathen, and of course, their seasonal Oaktoberfest. The surrounding hay bales and benches provided the perfect view of the Midway stage and the large crowd of all ages dancing and grooving to every band that performed. Many visitors came prepared with lawn chairs to set up in front of either stage for the live music. 

The beach itself by the Inlet was full of fun with moonbounces, beach tennis, cornhole competitions, and beach tractor hay rides. On Saturday, the Dock Dogs showed off their skills, running fast, jumping big, and having fun. A couple of black labs went one after another to try and outdo each other in enthusiasm and cuteness. 

The bike show & shine displayed cool bicycles of all sorts next to the merch tent that was almost picked clean by the middle of the day on Saturday. Vendors of all kinds provided unique items for purchase that could cover every category. Home decor, handmade candles, soaps, intricate custom maps, wire sculptures, a wide assortment of jewelry, and countless more rows of tents.

Saturday ended the festival with a gorgeous sunset painting the sky. As the vendors got ready to leave and the live music died down, visitors took to the beach for bonfires and a short but sweet fireworks show to end the weekend. Although the weather couldn’t provide the events on Sunday, we’re grateful for the beautiful days Thursday through Saturday and another successful Sunfest with a great turnout.