Santa Claus chose an unconventional way to make his grand entrance downtown as the star attraction for Ocean City’s holiday shopping extravaganza, called “Our Miracle on Asbury Avenue.”

We usually think of him gliding down to earth in his shiny red sleigh guided by Rudolph and the other reindeer.

But on Friday night, he carefully climbed down the towering ladder of an Ocean City fire truck after standing on the roof of City Hall and waving to the huge crowds on Asbury Avenue.

“Santa, is that you? We’ve been waiting for you,” Mayor Jay Gillian inquired, while speaking on a microphone.

Also speaking on a microphone, Santa comically responded that he was slightly delayed on his trip from the North Pole to Ocean City by stopping for a cheesesteak in Philadelphia.

Minutes later, Santa left his rooftop perch and made his way down the fire truck ladder amid cheers from the thousands of holiday-goers lining Asbury Avenue in front of City Hall.

After Gillian and the crowd counted down from 10 to one, Santa flipped a switch to bathe City Hall and a large Christmas tree on the front lawn in beautiful white lights, capping off the celebration.

The street was closed to traffic to create a gigantic outdoor pedestrian mall downtown for the “Our Miracle on Asbury Avenue” celebration, which functions as Ocean City’s version of the Black Friday shopping rush.

Michele Gillian, the wife of Mayor Gillian and executive director of the Ocean City Regional Chamber of Commerce, the event sponsor, said the downtown celebration started modestly 18 years ago and has been growing ever since.

“We saw this as an opportunity to start a new tradition in Ocean City and bring people here from Thanksgiving through the weekend. It’s become a destination now,” she said. “We couldn’t be prouder of all the businesses that get a really good kick-start on the holiday season with this day.”

Gillian noted that the Chamber, the city and the business community collaborate to showcase the downtown to holiday shoppers.

“It was a very small community event, and now it’s grown into thousands of people,” she explained of its growing popularity over the years.

    Holiday-goers in the thousands pack Asbury Avenue to watch the entertainment and tree-lighting ceremony.
  

The event features an array of family-friendly entertainment, shopping discounts and decorations. Pointing to all of those attractions and more, Gillian believes there is really no reason for shoppers to go anywhere else but Ocean City for Black Friday and the entire holiday weekend.

“You don’t have to go to New York. You can come to Ocean City, New Jersey,” she said.

Downtown stores were crowded with shoppers throughout Friday afternoon heading into the evening. Some of the stores were offering steep discounts as a further incentive for shoppers.

“It’s amazing. It’s great. It’s exceeded our expectations,” Danielle Milburn, district manager of the Making Waves shop on Asbury Avenue, said of the amount of business in the store.

Echoing Michele Gillian’s remarks, Milburn attributed the success of the Black Friday celebration largely to the partnership between the downtown shops, the Chamber of Commerce and the city.

“They all do a great job,” she said.

    Sisters T.J. Friedman, left, and Chrissy Duman, right, are joined by their daughters, Piper, Nat and Megan, during a break from their shopping.
  

Reminiscent of a Hollywood Christmas movie, Asbury Avenue was aglow in twinkling holiday lights as darkness fell. Strands of garland hanging above the street and red bows draped on the Victorian-style lampposts along Asbury gave the downtown an old-fashioned, decorative charm.

Carolers dressed in Victorian outfits and horse and carriage rides also added to the festive atmosphere. The live entertainment included photos with Santa, carolers singing on the front steps of City Hall, costumed characters, crooner Keith Hickman, 7-foot-7-inch stilt walker Woody Duncan, a Mummers-style band called Mum’s the Word and more.

Performing in front of City Hall, Hickman serenaded the crowds with renditions of old and new holiday tunes.

“It’s really nice. It’s a festive crowd,” said Hickman, who has been singing at the Black Friday celebration for eight years.

Duncan, dressed in a bright blue, drummer boy-like costume, was attracting a lot of attention from kids who did their best to high-five him by jumping up.

Parker Gavin, 9, who plays basketball, launched himself in the air and slapped hands with Duncan.

“That was high,” Parker exclaimed, prompting smiles from his mother, Andrea Garvin, his brother, Chase, and their family friend Oscar Anguita.

    Parker Gavin, 9, launches himself in the air to high-five with stilt walker Woody Duncan.
  

Also having some family fun was Ocean City resident Sue Kennedy, her daughter, Caitlin Kennedy, and Sue’s grandsons, Connor, 11, and Kevin, 9.

They posed for a photo at the corner of Ninth Street and Asbury Avenue in front of Ocean City’s “North Pole Express” mailbox, which allows children to send letters and their Christmas wish lists directly to Santa.

“It’s very festive and very family friendly. I love shopping local,” Sue Kennedy said of the downtown decorations and stores.

Chrissy Duman, of Moorestown, N.J., and her sister, T.J. Friedman, of Baltimore, were during some serious holiday shopping. They were accompanied by Friedman’s daughters, Piper and Nat, and Duman’s daughter, Megan Schroeder. Among their buys were some clothes, food, jewelry and pet items.

“We pretty much did it all,” Friedman said.

For Duman, the festive decorations were another highlight – one of the main reasons she enjoys the “Our Miracle on Asbury Avenue” celebration.

“City Hall looks beautiful and so does the Music Pier. I just love the decorations,” she said.

    Ocean City resident Sue Kennedy, standing, her daughter, Caitlin Kennedy, and her grandsons, Connor and Kevin, pose in front of Santa's "North Pole Express" mailbox.

Photo Gallery

Ocean City Holiday Celebration

Ocean City celebrates its "Our Miracle on Asbury Avenue" holiday extravaganza.