New Miss Ocean City Ready to Reign

Taylor Mulford is a princess. Well, she plays one for her family’s business, Let’s Party Events. In fact, she has been many characters and worn an array of costumes and crowns over the years.

Each year, one of her favorite events is the Ocean City Christmas parade, where the 16-year-old Upper Township resident plays Elsa on Disney’s “Frozen” float.

On Saturday, Aug. 10, at the Ocean City Music Pier, Taylor got to wear a real crown when she won Miss Ocean City 2025. Lola DeMarco, the 2024 Miss Ocean City, crowned Taylor.

“It felt like a dream, honestly. It was exhilarating,” Taylor said in an interview with OCNJDaily.com on Wednesday. “It didn’t feel real. I’m so excited. I’m looking forward to this year and all of the events.”

Taylor, who will be a junior at Ocean City High School in the fall, won the talent portion of the competition. She sang, “They Just Keep Moving The Line” by Megan Hilty. She also won the poise portion.

 The first runner-up was Suzy Bautista. Second runner-up went to Georgia Little. The other contestants were Angelina Anderson, Kalla Tocci-Rogers and Jordan Deseeuw-Yager.

Taylor said she is excited for what the year will bring as the reigning Miss Ocean City. The title also holds a special place in her heart because her grandmother, Ginny Cox Mulford, won the Miss Ocean City pageant in 1971. 

    Taylor Mulford gets a kiss from her mother, Shawna. (Photo courtesy of Kerri J Photography)  

Taylor said her grandmother gave her a bit of a nudge to enter the contest and she happily obliged.

“My grandmother has talked about it non-stop – forever,” Taylor said with a laugh. “I want to continue the legacy of my grandmother, and so many others who have won Miss Ocean City. I want to be able to make a positive impact on other girls. I want to inspire them.”

Taylor will join Junior Miss Ocean City and Little Miss Ocean City at events and activities throughout the year as they act as ambassadors for the resort.

In addition to going to events as Miss Ocean City, Taylor will be busy at Ocean City High School where she is an honors student and a member of the school’s Drama Guild. She also performs with the Avalon Players theater company.

And while it is a couple of years away, Taylor already has a good idea where she would like to go to college. 

She said the scholarship money she received from winning the pageant will help with her dreams.

She would like to attend Wagner College in New York state and major in musical theater and minor in psychology, she said.

“I think that the pageant is a good experience, and the scholarship can really help my education,” Taylor said.

    Taylor Mulford takes her first walk down the runway at the Ocean City Music Pier as Miss Ocean City.  (Photo courtesy of Kerri J Photography) 

Taylor’s mother, Shawna, and father, Rocco Doran, and her siblings, twin brother Jackson and little sister Viviane, were so proud of her for winning the crown, her mother Shawna said.

“Taylor is a fresh face. She gets to be herself. She is not in character. She gets to show the community who she is," Shawna said. “Taylor is always a princess or a queen for our business. Little girls look up to her as a princess or a queen. Now, she gets to be herself. She just wants to connect with people and where she really shines is making people feel special.”

Taylor's first official role in her new title is an appearance at the Miss Crustacean pageant and hermit crab races Wednesday night.

It is one of the many zany Ocean City events. It is dubbed the “original beauty contest for crustaceans” and also includes hermit crab races.

“Today, I have the Miss Crustacean event. I am really excited about it,” Taylor said.  

Miss Ocean City 2023 Mary Grace Jamison and Miss Ocean City 2015 Kendall Coughlin emceed the Miss Ocean City pageant.

On Friday, Aug. 16, is the Little Miss Ocean City pageant at 7 p.m. at the Music Pier. And on Saturday, Aug. 17, also at 7 p.m., is the Junior Miss Ocean City pageant. Some of Taylor’s early duties as the new reigning queen will be to perform in both of those pageants.

    From left, Junior Miss Sarah Avellino, Little Miss Stella Fleming, Miss Ocean City 2025 Taylor Mulford and Miss Ocean City 2024 Lola DeMarco are all smiles. (Photo courtesy of Kerri J Photography)