Headline & seasonal festivals
Sunfest
51st free Inlet arts, crafts, food, and music festival—two stages, DockDogs, craft-beer garden, Park & Ride shuttle service, plus ticketed PAC nights.
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Dates and prices change—confirm with official sources before you book travel. Status uses US Eastern calendar dates for “today.”
Plan your trip
Tickets, parking, lodging pacing, tips, and official links for this event window.
FAQs
Practical visitor questions—kids, weather, parking, tickets, and local logistics.
About this event
Sunfest 2026 returns October 22–25 at the Inlet Lot. Town hours: Thursday–Saturday 10 AM–7 PM and Sunday 10 AM–6 PM. It remains one of the region’s largest outdoor arts, crafts, music, and food festivals—free to enter, with purchases for food, crafts, and beer/wine.
Expect artisan booths from near and far, two music stages, family programming (including DockDogs in recent years), hay-wagon style rides when offered, and a craft-beer garden. Some years merge programming with Wine on the Beach mid-weekend—verify the current activity grid on Town pages.
Town materials advertise paid Park & Ride service during Sunfest (recent published guidance: about $4 Ride-All-Day to South Division Street, with extended evening hours Thu–Sat). Prefer shuttle/bus over hunting Inlet spaces. Ticketed PAC tribute shows some evenings are separate from free daytime entry.
October oceanfront weather swings from hoodie-perfect to windy—layers win. Pair with shoulder-season lodging and fall events pacing.
Quick planning tips
- Use Park & Ride on Saturdays—Inlet lots compress fast.
- Browse craft aisles Thursday or Friday morning for shorter lines.
- Carry a wind layer; oceanfront gusts beat inland forecasts.
Map (approximate)
Top FAQs
- Is Sunfest free?
- Yes—festival entry is free. Food, crafts, beer/wine, and any Performing Arts Center evening shows are paid separately.
- What are 2026 hours?
- Town listing: Thursday–Saturday 10 AM–7 PM; Sunday 10 AM–6 PM at the Inlet Lot. Confirm if severe weather alters the day.
- How do I get there without parking at the Inlet?
- Use Town Park & Ride / Beach Bus patterns published for Sunfest (recent years listed ~$4 all-day special-event fare to South Division Street). Hotel parking + bus is often easiest.
Sources we used
OCEANCITY.MD does not operate these events. Organizer websites, OceanCity.com, the Town of Ocean City (OC Ocean), OC Visitor, and regional tourism calendars are starting points—verify every time-sensitive detail directly.
Related guide on this site: older editorial page (may overlap topics).
