21 Best Things to Do in Ocean City, MD Before or After Oceans Calling

If you’re heading down to Ocean City Inlet Beach for a festival weekend, you’ve got a rare chance to turn one show into an actual trip. This stretch of Maryland coastline packs boardwalk arcades, wild ponies, deep sea fishing, and some of the best sunrise views on the East Coast into about ten square miles, and most of it is free or close to it.

We put together this list for anyone stretching a music festival trip into a full weekend, whether that means getting there a day early to avoid traffic or sticking around after the last set to actually see the town.

Some of these are classic boardwalk stuff, some are quieter spots locals actually use, and a few are the kind of thing you’d only find by asking someone who’s been going for twenty years.

21. Ride the OC Beach Bus Along Coastal Highway

Ocean City’s old boardwalk tram was permanently discontinued in 2025 after a fatal accident, so the bus is now the easiest way to cover ground without a car. A day pass runs $4 and covers unlimited rides on the Coastal Highway route between the South Division Street Transit Station and the north end of town.

Worth knowing before you go: the Park & Ride shuttle to the West Ocean City lot is normally free, but Oceans Calling is one of the specific events where a fare applies, so budget a few dollars for that leg if you’re parking outside downtown.

20. Grab a Slice of Boardwalk-Style Pizza

Ocean City has its own take on boardwalk pizza, thin and slightly sweet, and it’s become as much a local tradition as the beach itself. Most of the stands along the boardwalk sell it by the slice, which makes it an easy, cheap dinner between festival sets.

If you’re traveling on a tight budget, stacking a couple slices with a soda is usually enough to refuel without blowing your food money for the trip. Pair it with our budget calculator before you leave home if you want to keep the whole weekend on track.

19. Watch the Sunrise at the Inlet

The Ocean City Inlet, right where the festival grounds sit, faces almost due east, which makes it one of the better sunrise spots on this part of the coast. Fishing boats head out early, and the jetty rocks give you a clear, unobstructed view over open water.

It’s quiet enough in the early morning that it barely feels like the same beach that will be packed with festival crowds later that day. Bring a coffee and get there roughly thirty minutes before sunrise for the best light.

18. Bike the Boardwalk Before the Crowds Show Up

Ocean City restricts boardwalk bike hours only during the summer season, from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day. Since Oceans Calling falls in late September, well after that restriction lifts, bikes are allowed on the boardwalk any time of day during festival weekend. Rental shops near the boardwalk offer hourly and daily rates.

Locals still treat early morning as the real way to see Ocean City, since the crowds haven’t shown up yet even without the seasonal restriction. It’s a good way to burn off some energy before a long day standing at a festival.

17. Visit the Assateague Island Wild Ponies

A short drive south of town, Assateague Island National Seashore is home to a herd of wild horses that roam freely along the dunes and marshes. They’re truly wild, not fenced in, so sightings vary, but most visitors spot at least a few during a morning or evening visit.

Rangers ask that you keep a good distance, generally at least a car’s length or more, since these are wild animals and not photo props. Some sections of the national seashore also allow leashed dogs, so if you’re the type to bring one along on a trip, our dog accessories guide covers what’s worth packing for a beach day with a dog.

16. Walk or Drive the Assateague State Park Beach

Unlike the boardwalk beaches in town, Assateague State Park has a quieter, more natural coastline with dunes and sea grass instead of hotels and arcades. It’s a solid option if the main beach feels too crowded during festival weekend.

There’s a small entrance fee, priced per vehicle rather than per person for a late-September visit, generally in the range of three to five dollars depending on residency, and it’s worth checking current rates before you go since they shift seasonally.

15. Try Deep Sea Fishing Out of the Inlet

Several charter boats run out of the Ocean City Inlet for half-day and full-day deep sea fishing trips, targeting flounder, sea bass, and sometimes tuna depending on the season. Prices vary widely based on boat size and trip length, so it’s worth comparing a couple of options before booking.

This one takes a bigger chunk of your day than most items on this list, so it works best if you’re arriving early or staying an extra day after the festival wraps.

14. Play a Round of Mini Golf

Ocean City has a genuinely absurd number of mini golf courses packed into a small area, ranging from pirate-themed to jungle-themed to straight-up dinosaur-themed. Most rounds run somewhere in the range of ten to fifteen dollars per person.

It’s a low-effort, high-fun way to fill a couple hours between festival sets, and most courses stay open late into the evening during festival season.

13. Ride the Rides at a Boardwalk Amusement Park

The north end of the boardwalk has amusement rides that have been part of Ocean City’s identity for generations, including a historic carousel and a Ferris wheel with ocean views. Ride bracelets or per-ride tickets are both usually available.

Honestly, some of the rides show their age, and lines can run long on weekend nights, so this works best earlier in the day if you want to avoid the wait.

12. Check Out the Ocean City Life-Saving Station Museum

Housed in a restored 1891 building right at the Inlet, this small museum covers the history of the U.S. Life-Saving Service and the shipwrecks that shaped this stretch of coast. Admission is typically inexpensive, and it takes less than an hour to walk through.

It’s a good rainy-day backup or a quiet break from festival noise if you need a breather in an air-conditioned space.

11. Go Parasailing Over the Bay

A handful of operators run parasailing trips over Assawoman Bay on the west side of town, giving you a bird’s-eye view of the barrier island and the festival grounds from a few hundred feet up. Trips typically run fifteen to twenty minutes in the air.

It’s not cheap, and pricing varies by operator and season, but it’s one of the more memorable ways to see the whole layout of Ocean City at once.

10. Rent Jet Skis or Try Paddleboarding on the Bay

The calmer bay side of Ocean City is better suited for jet skis, kayaks, and paddleboards than the ocean side, where currents and waves can be rougher. Rental shops along the bay offer hourly rates for most watercraft.

This is a good half-day activity if you’re trying to balance beach time with something more active before heading back to the festival. If you’re hunting for travel gear before the trip, our roundup of surprisingly useful Amazon finds has a few items that work well for a bay-side afternoon.

9. Walk Out on the South Jetty

The rock jetty at the south end of the Inlet stretches out into the water and is a popular spot for fishing, photos, and just watching boats come and go. The rocks are uneven, so wear real shoes, not sandals, if you’re planning to walk out very far.

It’s directly adjacent to the festival grounds, which makes it an easy add if you’ve got even twenty spare minutes before or after a set.

8. Spend an Evening at the Boardwalk Arcades

Classic arcades line sections of the boardwalk, mixing old-school skee-ball and claw machines with newer redemption games. Most run on a pay-per-play or card-loaded system, and prize counters let you trade tickets for everything from candy to genuinely nice prizes if you rack up enough.

It’s an easy, air-conditioned way to spend an hour if the weather turns or you just want a break from the sand.

7. Try Fresh Seafood at a Boardwalk Restaurant

Ocean City takes its seafood seriously, and boardwalk-adjacent restaurants tend to serve it fresh, often pulled from boats that came in that same morning. Crab cakes, in particular, are treated as close to a local specialty as this town gets.

Prices skew a little higher for boardwalk-front seating, so if you’re watching your budget, walking a block or two inland usually gets you the same quality for less. A quick scan through our frugal foods roundup can help you plan meals for the rest of the weekend without overspending.

6. Watch the Sunset from Northside Park

On the north end of town, Northside Park sits along the bay and offers one of the better sunset views in Ocean City, without the boardwalk crowds. There’s a walking trail, playground, and open green space if you need a break from sand and pavement.

It’s a good spot to decompress after a long festival day, especially if you’re staying somewhere nearby and don’t want to fight boardwalk traffic to get back.

5. Visit a Boardwalk Oddities Museum

A handful of boardwalk attractions lean heavily into the strange and unexplained, mixing shrunken heads, optical illusions, and genuinely bizarre artifacts into a walk-through exhibit hall. It’s a reliable rainy-day or midday-heat option if you need to get out of the sun for a while.

Ticket prices run on the higher end for a boardwalk attraction, so it’s worth checking for combo deals with other nearby attractions before buying. If strange and unexplained is your kind of thing, our roundup of places on Earth that look like another planet is worth a read on the drive home.

4. Take a Day Trip to Chincoteague, Virginia

Just south of Assateague, the town of Chincoteague is about a forty-five minute drive and has its own charm, small-town shops, and a quieter beach scene than Ocean City proper. It’s known for its own herd of wild ponies, distinct from the Assateague, Maryland herd.

This one requires a car and eats up most of a day, so it’s best saved for people extending their trip by a full extra day rather than squeezing it between festival sets.

3. Rent a Beach Umbrella and Just Sit on the Sand

Sometimes the best thing to do in Ocean City is nothing at all. Beach access is free and public along nearly the entire boardwalk stretch, and umbrella and chair rentals are available by the day if you don’t want to haul your own gear.

After a loud festival weekend, an afternoon of doing absolutely nothing on the sand tends to hit differently than it would anywhere else.

2. Explore the Ocean City Fishing Pier

The Ocean City Fishing Pier stretches out from the boardwalk and is open to both anglers and anyone who just wants to walk out over the water. Rod rentals are usually available on-site if you didn’t bring your own gear, and the pier stays open into the evening.

It’s one of the more underrated free things to do in town, and it gives you a genuinely different perspective on the coastline than standing on the beach does.

1. Walk the Beach After the Last Set of the Night

There’s a specific kind of quiet that settles over the beach once the last set ends and the crowd starts filtering out toward the boardwalk. Most people head straight for their car or hotel, but the sand itself empties out fast, and for a while it’s just the ocean sound taking over from where the speakers left off.

It costs nothing, takes ten minutes, and ends up being the part of the trip people talk about a year later, not the setlist. If you’re the type who likes to track what a trip actually costs versus what you budgeted, our savings goal tracker is worth a look before you book anything else for the weekend, and if you’re deciding what to pack, our vacation outfit ideas roundup covers what actually works for a beach town versus a regular trip.

Making the Most of a Short Trip

Ocean City rewards people who slow down for even one extra day. Most visitors treat it as a beach-and-boardwalk town and never make it out to Assateague or the quieter bay side, which means a huge chunk of what makes this place worth visiting sits just outside the festival footprint entirely.

If you’re working with a tight budget for the weekend, a few of our other guides can help stretch it further, including our weird frugal habits that actually save money, our dollar store items that beat the name brand roundup for last-minute trip supplies, and our breakdown of money habits grandparents swore by if you’re trying to save up for the trip in the first place. Whether you’re there for one set or the whole weekend, Ocean City has enough packed into a small stretch of coastline that the festival ends up being just one part of the trip.