Ocean City flies high for Memorial Day weekend

More than 280,000 visitors return to the shore for summer's unofficial kick-off

The Town of Ocean City welcomed hundreds of thousands of visitors back to beach over the Memorial Day weekend.

City officials estimated the weekend population at 281,812 - a figure that is roughly the same as last year's holiday crowds. Although it's not a record for the town, it is the second year in a row that Ocean City has seen a level of visitors that is among the highest since 1994. "it's a fantastic number for a Memorial Day Weekend," said Donna Abbott, the town's communications manager, in an email.

The city celebrated summer's unofficial return with a new laser light show - and tonight there will be free fireworks on the beach at 54th Street. There was also a fun beach event featuring a huge flag in tribute to Memorial Day.

Abbott said the flag weighed some 850 pounds and was 14,000 square feet. More than 250 volunteers helped to unfurl it on the beach on Monday, something the town has not done since 2003. It's all in keeping with the 2012 theme for a Summer of Thanks. (More flag photos here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/oceancitymdgov/)

Anyway, it was a pretty end to a busy weekend.