This story has been updated to add new information and new photos .
Today is the day: Oceans Calling Festival is back for round 2 in the popular vacation destination of Ocean City, Maryland.
The festival grounds, although a bit damp from Hurricane Helene's rain, will surely be teaming with life as music fans of all ages gather together along the vast Atlantic Ocean for three whole days filled with epic live music performances.
The doors opened at noon and fans made thier way along the historic Boardwalk toward the Sea Bright, Rockville and Carousel stages, hoping to snag a spot at the front of the crowd for a chance to see their favorite artists up close.
A map of the festival grounds can be found online here .
Follow along with Delmarva Now all day Friday here for live updates of day 1.
Oceans Calling 2024 guide: Ultimate guide to 2024 Oceans Calling Festival: performances, traffic, weather forecast
A long drive from Virginia Beach didn't stop Crystal and Shannon Martinez from making it to Oceans Calling Festival.
Today, the pair shared their first ever bucket of Thrasher's French Fries on the Boardwalk.
The Martinez's didn't mind the long line. In fact, it's what first caught their eye.
"We saw the line, so we decided we wanted to try them," Crystal said of the crispy, golden fries. "And they're awesome."
Thrasher's, which has remained a staple Ocean City Boardwalk business since 1929, has one rule: Its french fries are served solely with salt and vinegar. That's right - no ketchup.
"I love my ketchup with my fries," Crystal admitted. "But I'm actually really good with not having ketchup with these."
"I like the malt flavor from the vinegar. It kind of gives you that seafood-type feel," Shannon said.
A snack break - especially at Thrasher's - is a must when you're spending your entire day jamming out to live music.
Oceans Calling Day 2 live updates: Oceans Calling 2024 thrills large crowd on rainy Day 1 in Ocean City. What the fans loved
O.A.R. rocked the house on Day 1 of Oceans Calling Festival.
"We're O.A.R. and we're from Rockville, Maryland," O.A.R. lead vocalist and guitarist Marc Roberge said to the energetic crowd.
The audience roared in response.
"We'd have band practice in the basement, and now we're here with you guys," Roberge added. "This is insane. Thank you so much for allowing us to play these songs."
O.A.R., founded in 1996, still knows how to show their audience a good time 28 years later.
The band's island vibe was on full display tonight as saxophone solos, trumpet blasts and electrifying singing filled the air.
Liz Mahar, Morgan Keil and Kristina Smith, all of whom hail from upstate New York, are major O.A.R. fans.
"We love O.A.R.," the friends said in agreement. Each woman wore a colorful Hawaiian lei around her neck.
As the trio stood together in the soft sand awaiting the band's appearance onstage, they shared what song they were eager to hear live.
"That Was A Crazy Game of Poker!" they yelled in unison.
Just then, the sound of a guitar filled the air and O.A.R. took to the stage.
Chris McBride and Sabrina Sablon of Lewes, Delaware, arrived at the festival around 4 p.m., and brought some much-needed color to the otherwise cloudy day.
"I wore this because it's so gross out. It's vibrant, it's great," Sablon said of her orange and green tie dye jacket.
McBride wore an eye-catching shirt which featured a UFO abducting a cat.
The pair was gearing up to see Cage the Elephant, Sublime, 311 and headliner Blink-182.
Both agree that Oceans Calling Festival is a great addition to events on the Eastern Shore.
"It's good for all of the small businesses around here," McBride said.
The laughter stemming from three local Ocean City, Maryland, residents - Sean Loomis, Amanda Loomis and Nicole Achenne - echoed in the air as the trio stood near the colorful Oceans Calling Festival banner for a quick selfie.
All three festivalgoers are Oceans Calling veterans who expressed their excitement to be back.
"Just to be able to hang out in town and see awesome bands all weekend, hang out with my friends and see the town turned into a festival is just awesome," Sean said.
In regard to the rain, although not ideal, Sean said with a shrug of his shoulders, "This is life at the beach."
The trio bought their VIP tickets the minute they went on sale. When asked who they're most excited to see perform today, Achenne said The Darkness, Amanda pointed to her Blink-182 shirt and Sean admitted he's undecided.
"I'm excited to see them all," he said.
Sean is in two local bands - The Dunehounds and Full Circle - and spent most of his summer rocking out onstage at local bars restaurants, including fan-favorite destination Seacrets.
For a band member such as himself, a three-day weekend jam-packed with epic live music performances is a nothing short of a dream.
For a group of five women hailing from North Attleborough, Massachusetts, a trip to Ocean City, Maryland, for the long-awaited second round of Oceans Calling Festival has been in the works for a while.
"It was excellent (last year). The VIP area exceeded our expectations," said Jamielee Shanahan, a returning Oceans Calling Festival attendee.
"So, we got more people to come down this year," she added, gesturing to her pals Michelle Sylvester, Nikki Guthrie, Missy Keating and Lee-Ann Johnson.
Shanahan and her friends, all VIP ticket holders, are here celebrating one current birthday and two belated birthdays.
The weather was not a deterrent for the tight-knit group, who said they're used to a little bit - actually, a lot - of rain on the New England coast.
"We were going to come regardless," Shanahan said, as shouts of "We're from New England!" echoed in the air from the rest.
The friends agreed that, on Day 1 of the festival, they're most excited to see headliner Blink-182, as well as big name bands Cage the Elephant and O.A.R.
For this group of women, already dissolving into laughter as music from the nearby stages reverberates in the air, it's a celebration all around.
Olivia Minzola covers communities on the Lower Shore. Contact her with tips and story ideas at ominzola@delmarvanow.com .
This article originally appeared on Salisbury Daily Times: Oceans Calling 2024 thrills large crowd on rainy Day 1 in Ocean City. What the fans loved
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