By MADDY VITALE
This Easter looked quite different from 2020’s, judging by the families who wore their fashionable best from Easter bonnets to suits and suspenders to brilliant color dresses, on the Ocean City Boardwalk for the city’s Fashion Stroll.
The Easter Fashion Stroll was virtual last year due to COVID-19 gathering restrictions.
But this year appeared to make up for it as people made the event their family tradition once again. People snapped photos of their children in adorable attire complete with bonnets or hats.
The event in front of the Music Pier mirrored years prior with people cheering on their friends or family. People wore masks unless they could socially distance from others to follow strict COVID-19 safety guidelines.
Kathleen Doles, of Absecon, and her daughter, Devon Bowman and her husband, DJ of Doylestown, Pa., celebrated their 30th year of doing Ocean City’s festive fashion show.
“We couldn’t wait. We were so excited to see they were holding this. It’s part of what brings families together,” Doles noted. “As the kids got older I thought they wouldn’t do it anymore, but they love it.”
Devon was just 2 when she began dressing for the Easter Fashion Stroll. “It is just a great part of Easter for us,” she said.
The family, who were part of the Curran Family of Atlantic City, definitely had the attire down, because they won Best Dressed Family.
During the stroll, crown holders present and past emceed the event, joked with the contestants and even asked some of them to twirl to showcase their outfits.
Miss Ocean City 2020 Mary Grace Jamison and Junior Miss Ocean City 2020 Natalie Argento, who are keeping their titles through 2021, Miss Ocean City 2019 Megan Keenan and Miss Ocean City 2015 Kendall Coughlin, acted as the emcees and judges.
Olivia Green, 7, of Philadelphia, and her sister, Gianna, 6, wore shiny homemade Easter bonnets to the enjoyment of the crowd.
Victoria Selby, 4, of Newtown Square, Pa., was a natural, when called up for her age category and carefully said her name into the microphone.
Victoria’s mother, Christina Selby, said the Easter Fashion Stroll was just a perfect end to the activities the family enjoyed throughout the weekend from an Easter Egg Hunt to seeing the Easter Bunny ride atop an Ocean City fire engine Saturday.
“I love the candy eggs best,” Victoria said, at her mother’s prompting for her favorite part of the weekend.
But it wasn’t just the delight from the adorable that captured the attention of the audience.
It was also the Easter bonnets, especially the Most Unusual Bonnet, which was awarded to Liz McGinnis, of Villanova, Pa., who wore a hat that came with yellow chicks and even a talking lamb stuffed animal as well – a hat topper.
“When you squeeze it, it talks,” McGinnis joked after her win. “My uncle Carl made it for me.”
In addition to the stroll was the Dueling Pianos show, which kept the crowds entertained before and after the Fashion Promenade.
Prizes were awarded to the winners. And in the children’s categories everyone won.
The full list of Easter Stroll winners is as follows:
Best Dressed Teen Female went to Mallory Stetter of Wildwood.
Best Dressed Teen Male: No entries
Best Dressed Gentleman went to Austin Sedicum of Quakertown, Pa.
Best Dressed Woman went to Sara Davis of Ocean City.
Best Dressed Couple went to Jim and Pennie Gorney of Syracuse, N.Y.
Most Unusual Bonnet went to Liz McGinnis, of Villanova, Pa., and Best Easter Bonnet went to Carmela Keeper of Margate.
Best Dressed Family went to the Curran Family of Atlantic City.
