A Look Ahead To Events Planned For Fall Season

OCEAN CITY - Tuesday was the official start to the fall season, and, as usual, there's plenty of events on the calendar in the Ocean City area giving visitors a reason to return and locals a reminder this is a special time of year. Here's a look at some of the leading events coming up in the next few months after this weekend.

-- Oct.  2: Family Campfire on the Beach, 130th St. on the beach: Bring your family for a night of fun with a good old-fashioned campfire. Entertainment storytelling, music & refreshments. S\'mores & hot chocolate offered. Bring your beach blankets, warm clothes & the whole family for a night out on the beach. 6-8 p.m.

-- Oct.  2-3: Winefest on the Beach, Inlet Parking Lot: Wineries from across the Mid-Atlantic region. Arts & crafts, continuous entertainment on our stage in the sand, food available & more. Admission, 11 a.m.-7 p.m.

-- Oct.  3-4: Ocean City Coin & Currency Show, Convention Center: Thirty or more coin & currency dealers buying & selling, plus free appraisals & free admission. 10 a.m.- 6 p.m.

-- Oct.  3-4: Chesapeake Celtic Festival, Furnace Town Living Heritage Museum, Snow Hill: Border Collies herding sheep, music & dance in three performance areas. Pipe bands, clan booths, heritage talks, Medieval encampment, food court, Celtic marketplace & demonstrations. Admission. 11a.m.-5:30 p.m.

-- Oct.  8-11: 12th Annual Endless Summer Cruisin\', Inlet Parking Lot: Hot rod car show features more than 1,500 customs, muscle cars, street machines, classics & more. Live entertainment, manufacturers\' midway, boardwalk parades & special attractions. Admission. Thursday-Saturday, 9 a.m. -5 p.m.; Sunday, 9 a.m.- 4 p.m.

-- Oct.  9-11: Oktoberfest, Convention Center: Eat, drink & be merry with schnitzels, wursts & barrels of bier. Three full days & two nights of continuous entertainment including Jolly Joe & the Bavarians, the Adler Family, Enzian Volkstanzgruppe Dancers & more. Admission includes craft show. Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m.- 4 p.m. Arts and Crafts Fair coincides with the event.

-- Oct.  10: Harbor Day at the Docks - A Waterfront Heritage Festival, West OC Commercial Harbor Area: Celebrate the history & heritage of local maritime traditions. This free event is open to the public & will feature educational exhibits, fish cleaning & seafood cooking demonstrations, commercial fish harvesting techniques & handling, deep sea fishing techniques, net mending, seafaring competitions, touch tanks, children\'s games, & much more. Maritime exhibits, craft artisans, & Fish Tales "stories at sea" presentations. Saturday, 11 a.m.- 5 p.m. Ending the daylong event will be a "Blessing of the Fleet" beginning at 4 p.m.

-- Oct.  17: Free State Corvette Weekend, Inlet Parking Lot: A weekend of Corvette enthusiasts celebrating 23 years in Ocean City with proceeds from event going to Maryland charities. Over 850 Corvettes registered for event in 2008. Saturday car show 9:30 a.m.- noon at Inlet, followed by boardwalk parade at 4 p.m.

-- Oct.  23-25: Coastal Style Luxury Living Show, Convention Center, 40th St. & Bay: One of a kind event that highlights products & services of the region\'s most prestigious businesses. Admission. Friday, noon-5 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sunday, noon-5 p.m.

-- Oct.  31: Halloween Spook-out Party, Northside Park Complex, 125th St. & Bay: Participants of all ages can have a howling good time with events that include carnival games, arts & crafts, hayrides, snacks & much more. Costume contests scheduled throughout the event. Saturday, 1-3 p.m.

-- Nov.  7-8: Fallfest of Fine Arts, Convention Center: Juried show features fine art painters, sculptors & high craft artisans. Admission. Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sunday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Christmas Craft Expo coincides with event.

-- Nov.  19-Jan. 2, 2010: Winterfest of Lights, Townwide, Inlet lot & Northside Park, 127th St.:  More than one million holiday lights sparkle throughout your favorite beach resort. Take a drive through the Tunnel of Lights at Ocean City\'s Inlet to enjoy the nautical displays of holiday lights. Tour the streets of Ocean City to see the old-fashioned lighted wreaths & the Avenue of Trees on Baltimore Avenue from 15th to 32nd Streets. Then it\'s on to Northside Park to see hundreds of animated lighted displays. Relax in the heated tent, enjoy entertainment on selected nights & sip hot chocolate at the new patio cafe. Sunday-Thursday, 5:30-9:30 p.m.; Friday-Saturday, 5:30-10:30 p.m.

-- Nov.  27-28: Annual Black Friday 550 Rockfish Tournament, Ocean City Fishing Center: Free slip with tournament entry. Weigh-ins Friday, 10 a.m.-noon & 5-7 p.m.; Saturday, 9-11 a.m. & 5-7 p.m.

-- Nov.  27-29: Holiday Shopper\'s Fair, Convention Center: Holiday shopping extravaganza. Quality photography, florals, jewelry, nautical items, toys, candles, sports autographs and more. Children\'s activities are offered along with a visit with Santa. Non-shoppers lounge. Admission. Friday & Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sunday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

-- Dec.  3-25: Victorian Christmas, Berlin: Celebrations include life-sized storybook window displays, horse & carriage rides, house tours, concerts, parade. Victorian fashion show & teas. Santa visits weekends at the Atlantic Hotel & music fills the streets. Fee for some events.

-- Dec.  5: Christmas Parade, North Ocean City: Wonderful holiday parade with high school bands, floats & marching units. Many activities in Gold Coast Mall following the parade. Saturday, 11 a.m.