Saint Patrick's Day weekend at beaches: Hot entertainment slate for Ocean City and beyond

Roger Hillis
·4 min read

St. Patrick’s Day falls on Friday, March 17, but some cities and towns will once again get a head start on things and begin the celebration a week early.

Ocean City’s annual parade will commence at noon on Saturday, March 11, when it travels along Coastal Highway from 60th Street to 45th Street. It will feature floats, marching bands and costumes galore, and officials are encouraging onlookers to take the bus and leave their cars at home.

Shenanigan’s Irish Pub & Grille on OC’s Boardwalk will open for the 2023 season at 4 p.m. on Thursday, March 9, with music by James Gallagher & Off the Boat (who will play all weekend, along with various special guests). It will open at 11:30 p.m. on Friday, March 10, and then bright and early at 7:30 a.m. on Saturday, March 11.

James Gallagher & Off the Boat will play the season opening of Shenanigan's Irish Pub & Grille in Ocean City at 4 p.m. on Thursday, March 9.
James Gallagher & Off the Boat will play the season opening of Shenanigan's Irish Pub & Grille in Ocean City at 4 p.m. on Thursday, March 9.

Back on Coastal Highway, Seacrets’ eighth annual Irie-ish Music Fest will be held after the Saturday, March 11, parade. No advance tickets will be sold; admission will be first come, first served. The schedule consists of the Jimi Milligan Band (noon); John McNutt’s Keltic Rock Warriors (1 p.m.); Turning the Tide (4:30 p.m.); Kono Nation (5 p.m.); Element K (5:30 p.m.); The Way Outs (9 p.m.); and The Benderz (10 p.m.).

Seacrets will holds its bash dubbed “The Real” St. Patrick’s Day Party next Friday, March 17. The Tiki Stage will feature an appearance by the Ocean City Pipes & Drums at 5 p.m., followed by the John McNutt Band at 5:15 p.m. The indoor stage in the Morley Hall will feature Stealing Savannah at 10 p.m.

The Jimi Milligan Band will kick off the eighth annual Irie-ish Music Fest at Seacrets in Ocean City at noon on Saturday, March 11.
The Jimi Milligan Band will kick off the eighth annual Irie-ish Music Fest at Seacrets in Ocean City at noon on Saturday, March 11.

In coastal Sussex County, the 15th annual Milton St. Patrick’s Parade will take place downtown on Front Street at 2 p.m. Sunday, March 12. Irish Eyes Milton (which is also located on Front Street) will feature Celtic music by The Hit The Bottle Boys right after the parade passes by, and then the band Pub Crawl plays later that evening at 8 p.m.

Back in OC, the Ocean City Performing Arts Center has a rock concert set for 8 p.m. Friday, March 10, courtesy of O.A.R. frontman Marc Roberge ($59). He will be joined by guest trumpet player Jon Lampley, who is seen on national television on weeknights as part the house band on CBS’ "Late Show with Stephen Colbert. "

Singer-guitarist Roberge has an OC connection in that he helped curate the lineup of last year’s Oceans Calling festival (which was unfortunately rained out).

The Ocean City Performing Arts Center will present Marc Roberge from the rock band O.A.R. at 8 p.m., Friday, March 10 ($59).
The Ocean City Performing Arts Center will present Marc Roberge from the rock band O.A.R. at 8 p.m., Friday, March 10 ($59).

Speaking of Oceans Calling — its organizers with the C3 Presents company announced that the lineup of the 2023 edition festival will be announced Tuesday, March 14. A pre-sale for tickets will start at 10 a.m. Thursday, March 16. The event is to take place Friday, Sept. 29 through Sunday, Oct. 1.

C3 Presents will also present its fifth annual Sea Hear Now festival in Asbury Park, New Jersey, on Friday and Saturday, Sept. 16-17, featuring the Foo Fighters, the Killers and more.

In other concert news, the Freeman Arts Pavilion has made an addition to its summer concert lineup. It will present the return of pop-rock favorite Train on Saturday, Aug. 26 (following a 7 p.m. opening set by Parmalee). Ticket information was not immediately available.

In Dewey Beach, tickets sold out almost immediately for the Bottle & Cork nightclub’s Sunday, May 21, concert by recent Grammy winner Ashley McBryde. Tickets are also moving quickly for Cork shows featuring Justin Moore (Thursday and Friday, June 29-30) and Warren Zeiders (Thursday, Aug. 31).

Australian guitar virtuoso Carl Wockner will play the Conch Island Key West Bar & Grill in downtown Rehoboth Beach on Saturday, March 11, and the Nalu Surf Bar & Grill in Dewey Beach on Sunday, March 12.
Australian guitar virtuoso Carl Wockner will play the Conch Island Key West Bar & Grill in downtown Rehoboth Beach on Saturday, March 11, and the Nalu Surf Bar & Grill in Dewey Beach on Sunday, March 12.

Elsewhere in Dewey Beach, the Nalu Surf Bar & Grill will open for its 16th season at 4 p.m. Thursday, March 9. Joe Bachman and Zack Polk will play at 9 p.m. that night, and then again at 9 p.m. Friday, March 10.

Decade 80 (who will be playing every Saturday night this summer) will rock the house at 9 p.m. Saturday, March 11. Australian guitar virtuoso Carl Wockner will play an afternoon show from noon to 3 p.m. Sunday, March 12.

In downtown Rehoboth Beach, the Conch Island Key West Bar & Grill will host its Half Way Down Here Music Festival at 4 p.m. Saturday, March 11 ($10, $15). Performers include the aforementioned Carl Wockner, Joe Bachman and Zack Polk, Dallas Alexander, Kricket Comedy and Olde City Outlaws.

Email Roger Hillis at rogerhillis@gmail.com

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This article originally appeared on Salisbury Daily Times: In Ocean City, beyond, Saint Patrick's Day entertainment slated packed