By MADDY VITALE
The cuteness factor was high at the Easter Stroll at the Ocean City Music Pier. The event harkens back to the days when people dressed up for all occasions, from walking on the boards to dining.
The fashion stroll showcased some pretty adorable attire on kids and some snazzy and interesting apparel on the adults.
Who could resist gushing over 2-year-old Leo Pavlovich wearing a seersucker suit? Or 1-year-old Joey Moffett, of Merchantville, N.J., wearing suspenders?
Girls and women wore long, flowy dresses with prints of baby chicks, flowers and even bunnies. And there were hats galore, from Easter bonnets to baseball caps.
And aside from the adorable children, there were some adults who stole the show. Lila Zacchini, of Orlando Fla., was one of them. She won Best Dressed Woman.
But her attire was not exactly flowy or beautiful. It was more on the comical side. She wore a jumpsuit with Easter eggs on it, plastic eggs clipped to her hair and carried an Easter basket that held a Teletubbie toy.
Instead of doing the conventional stroll onto the stage, she actually hopped, sending the crowd into laughter and shout-outs.
While the adults won in their categories, the kids were all winners and received candy and little trophies for their efforts.
Natalie Ragazzo, the 2022 Miss New Jersey Volunteer, entertained the crowd with her style of emceeing as Miss Ocean City Grace Oves, Junior Miss Ocean City Antonella Diantonio and Little Miss Ocean City Lyla Clark acted as judges and posed for photos with the contestants in the different categories.
The Curran family from Atlantic City, winners in 2022, didn’t capture the title for Best Dressed Family this year. But it didn’t seem to matter. They have been participating in the family-friendly event for 31 years and plan to for many more years to come, Kelly Curran said.
“It’s a fun, family tradition. I live in D.C. now. We’ve been doing this since I was born,” Kelly Curran said. “It’s something we do that brings us all together. We have done it so much we can’t stop. We have to keep the tradition going.”
The Philly Keys entertained the crowds prior to the stroll and afterward with their dueling piano show.
Mary Beth and Paul Basenfelder, of Aston, Pa., brought their 3-year-old daughter Madeline to watch the Easter Stroll. But Madeline had a lot of fun before the event, listening and dancing to the tunes of the Philly Keys.
“We come down to Ocean City all year,” Mary Beth Basenfelder said. “We thought it would be nice to come for the Easter Stroll. It’s a great event and a nice day, and Madeline likes to dance to the music.”
John Eastlack and Kelsey Welsh, of Haddonfield, N.J., enjoyed listening to the music, too. And so did their 5-year-old daughter, Sage, who had the best view of the entertainment. She sat on her father’s shoulders.
For those who missed Ocean City’s sunrise service, here it is courtesy of Martin Fiedler of Just Right TV Productions.
The full list of Fashion Promenade winners is as follows:
Best Dressed Teen Male went to Michael Szymczak, of Marlton, N.J.
Best Dressed Teen Female went to Aleigha Montgomery, of Levittown, Pa.
Best Dressed Gentleman was Vic Maggitti, of Berwyn, Pa.
Best Dressed Woman went to Lila Zacchini, of Orlando, Fla.
Best Dressed Couple went to Lila and Bruno Zacchini, of Orlando Fla.
Most Unusual Bonnet went to Bianca Leonard, of Haddonfield, N.J.
Best Easter Bonnet went to Linda McKeever, of Fox Chase, Pa.
Best Dressed Family went to Jennifer Keeper and family of Margate, N.J.
