Ocean City prepares for car enthusiasts once again with Endless Summer Cruisin'

With 2,500 people registered to participate in Endless Summer Cruisin', Ocean City officials and law enforcement are anticipating another busy weekend.

The car show and cruising event kicks off Thursday, bringing car enthusiasts to the resort town to showcase hot rods, custom cars, classics and trick trucks.

"It's looking to be a beautiful weekend, so we're expecting quite a few spectators," event coordinator Meredith Herbert said.

Following a busy weekend with people in town for an unofficial H2Oi gathering, Ocean City spokeswoman Jessica Waters said the city is preparing for another influx of visitors.

RELATED:H2Oi behavior 'appalling' to Ocean City officials

In a Monday statement, Police Chief Ross Buzzuro described the behavior of those who arrived beginning Thursday, Sept. 28 to showcased modified Volkswagens and Audis as "appalling."

Over the course of the four days, police statistics show law enforcement responded to more than 2,700 calls for service and made 78 total arrests, and Buzzuro said the offenses included disorderly conduct, second-degree assault and open container charges.

H2Oi was definitely "labor-intensive," especially for law enforcement, Waters said, but town leaders are moving forward and looking at how to improve prevention of those kinds of issues in the future.

"Any type of motor event brings different, but similar challenges," Waters said.

RELATED:Despite problems, Cruisin' seen as good for Ocean City

However, she emphasized that the cruiser events, which are sanctioned by the city, are not related to the gathering that took place this weekend.

In May, Ocean City Cruisin' rolled through town. That event saw two tragedies in 2016, with the death of a Germantown man whose motorcycle slammed into a pickup truck shortly after he fled a traffic stop and the death of a Pennsylvania man who fell from a hotel balcony.

In 2015, the event also saw a Millersville man charged with six traffic violations after he was caught on video during that year's Ocean City Cruisin' event performing doughnuts on the highway.

RELATED:Driver doing doughnuts during 'Crusin in OC charged

Waters said any time motor events visit the city, there can be a handful of people, whether they are participants or not, who are simply looking to cause trouble.

"That's really with any group," Waters said.

Overall though, town officials said last year that the cruiser events are good for business, and there are often only a few people whose poor behavior gives the event a bad name.

Herbert said she couldn't remember any major issues during Endless Summer Cruisin' in recent years and noted that organizers encourage participants and spectators both to make sure they obey traffic laws and local ordinances.

"We pride ourselves on being a very family-friendly event," she said.

Though many of the people attending car events are only visiting Ocean City, Waters said it's important for them to remember that they're surrounded by people who call the city home.

"We ask that while they’re in Ocean City that they remember to follow the local laws and ordinances and respect the people around them," she said. "Be considerate of others."

Common traffic violations during such events include speeding, reckless driving and spinning wheels, according to an Ocean City police news release, and offenders can be fined anywhere from $70 to $350.

Also, as of Oct. 1, the release notes that anyone who intentionally emits black car exhaust at another car or person, a practice commonly known as "rolling coal," can be fined as much as $500.

Because of the increase in visitors, Ocean City police will be bringing in allied agencies, including Maryland State Police, Maryland Transportation Authority and deputies from three different sheriff's offices.

In a news release, Police Chief Ross Buzzuro said he expects Endless Summer Cruisin' to be a safe event as long as participants and spectators respect local laws and ordinances.

“When motor events such as Endless Summer Cruisin’ come to town, our roadways quickly become very congested, causing unavoidable traffic delays,” he said. “I encourage all residents and visitors to use caution and drive carefully to ensure that everyone stays safe on the roadways.”