Holiday Crowds Enjoy Beaches and Boardwalk in Ocean City

By MADDY VITALE From the Boardwalk to the beaches to the bay, Ocean City was a flurry of activity for tourists and residents, who soaked in the rays, lounged on the beaches, boated, strolled the boards and just enjoyed their Saturday on Memorial Day weekend. While the weather was iffy, foggy and cloudy Friday, Saturday’s weather seemed to make up for it, with sun-splashed skies and warm temps. The water temperature was in the 60s and the air temp was around 76 degrees in the early afternoon. “It definitely is a busy weekend,” said lifeguard Chloe DeGaetano, of Linwood. Lifeguards Chloe DeGaetano and Andrew Lee watch bathers at 11th Street beach. DeGaetano and fellow lifeguard, Andrew Lee, of Ocean City, watched the bathers at 11th Street beach. “The temperatures are mild, but the water conditions are a bit rough,” Lee said, noting that there were some rip currents to look out for. Kids played in the sand, while their parents watched. Some teens enjoyed a game of spike ball and others tossed footballs. Boaters and other watercraft created a lot of activity in the bay. Bicyclists zipped along the Boardwalk making room for joggers. No matter what a vacationer or resident chose to do on Saturday, there was a lot of it. Boardwalk strollers walked by eating pizza, ice cream and other favorite shore treats. And there weren’t many – if any – pesky gulls in sight to attempt to snatch someone’s treats. Boardwalk strollers relish the warm temps and sun-splashed skies. Seth Rowe, a falconer for East Coast Falcons, could have had something to do with that. He had a hawk named Karen with him. They were on patrol to scare away the gulls and it seemed to be working. The bird abatement program has been in place in Ocean City since 2019. “It’s a light day today,” Rowe pointed out. “It’s not that bad out yet. But later today it will pick up.” At least around noon gulls did not appear to be swooping in to attempt to steal a meal from an unsuspecting vacationer. Falconer Seth Rowe with Karen, a Harris's hawk. Kristin Garcia and her 9-year-old son, James, her friend, Kat Leyland, and her son, Walker, 10, all from Doylestown, Pa., decided to come down for the holiday weekend. “We try to come down at least once a summer,” Kristin Garcia said of her family. While Garcia and her family make it a point to visit Ocean City each year, it was Leyland’s first Ocean City excursion. “We usually go to Florida,” Leyland explained. “But we definitely like it here. And Memorial Day weekend is the perfect time to come because it kicks off the summer.” Kristin Garcia, left, with son, James, and friend, Kat Leyland, and son, Walker, all of Doylestown, Pa., have a fun beach day. After the beach, the two families had big plans. Well, the boys had ideas of what they wanted to do next. “After the beach, we will play Wiffle ball,” James said. Walker added, “Then we will go play miniature golf.” While the Garcia and Leyland families mapped out the rest of their holiday weekend of activities, Thomas Bonato and his son, Caio, both of West Chester, Pa., sat on a bench on the boards. Thomas Bonato, left, and his son, Caio, both of West Chester, Pa., eat some cool treats. The father and son duo ate chocolate and vanilla soft-serve ice cream that was quickly melting. “We are down for the weekend,” Thomas Bonato said. “We walked on the Boardwalk and we are going to the beach.” Their plans for later on in the day were not set yet. “We might play tennis later,” he said. “Right now, we are just relaxing,” Caio added.