OCEAN CITY — Lifeguards, boaters and sharks, ballerinas, princesses, golfers and tennis players were among the colorful characters gathered at the Civic Center Aug. 14 in preparation for the 115th annual Ocean City Baby Parade.
The annual tradition offers a chance for parents to show off the newest generation of visitors to America’s Greatest Family Resort, featuring children age 10 and younger cruising the boardwalk in themed strollers, wagons and floats.
The parade starts at Sixth Street and children finish at 12th Street while all other entries continue to 14th Street. It is free to watch, and spectators lined both sides of the boardwalk to get a good look.
Decked out in their fancy outfits to go along with their float themes, parents lined up in the air-conditioned gymnasium, putting last-minute touches on their designs before they headed out into the heat and humidity.
As summer days go, though, it wasn’t so bad with temperatures in the mid 80s beneath overcast skies, but the humidity was high. Despite predictions of rain, the sun was just peeking out as the parade stepped off.
Mayor Jay Gillian said it never rains on the Baby Parade.
“Our special events do well. This is great, what a tradition,” he said.
“I’ve been in many parades in my life and this is great compared to some of the ones I’ve been in,” Gillian said. “Great crowd, boardwalk’s loaded and a lot of nice floats. The creativity is unbelievable.”
Billie Rose Vanderlely, 13 months, was captain of the ship, overseeing her crew including parents Tom and Paige Vanderlely of Bucks County, Pa., along with grandmothers Frida Vanderlely and Peg Aversa.
They have a house on 13th Street where they visit each summer.
Aversa was in the parade before, in 1970, but it was Billie Rose’s first time. However, they have enjoyed watching the parade in the past.
“It’s always a fun time,” Frida Vanderlely said.
“It’s nice to see generations doing the same family event,” Aversa added.
Maggie Rose Tirello, who just turned 1 on Aug. 6, was The Hoagie Queen, outfitted so by her mother, Rachel Tirello, because of a family tradition of demonstrating the girl’s growth through pictures next to hoagies.
“We would go to all the different places and put her next to a hoagie in all of her Phillies, Flyers and Eagles gear,” Tirello said.
The girls were in town from Jacksonville, Fla., but mom grew up on the island and is a 2004 graduate of Ocean City High School.
She never got a chance to participate in the parade but her brothers were in it during the nation’s bicentennial year in 1976.
“I grew up here, so it’s so nice that I actually get to share all my childhood memories with her,” Tirello said.
Marking Christmas in July, err August, Jay and Amanda Larsen along with daughters Taylorann, 4, and Emma, 1, were decked out as characters from Dr. Seuss books.
Sporting a huge mustache, Jay Larsen was portraying the Lorax, while Emma was the dog and mom and sister were residents of Whoville.
“We did ‘The Grinch Who Stole Christmas in July,’” Amanda said.
“He liked Ocean City so much that he decided to stick around for a few more weeks,” Jay added.
The family was visiting from Warminster, Pa., on their second vacation of the summer. They said the kids have been in the parade every year since they were born, and they previously won for their Flintstones theme.
“We have a lot of fun with the decorating; we’re both art teachers. So it’s kind of a creative outlet over the summer that we can include the kids,” Amanda said, noting Taylorann has chosen the theme for the past couple of years. “And we love Ocean City — it’s our favorite place to go.”
She said the parade also is “an excuse to get all the family together.”
“My brother comes down, my parents come down, we have a little family vacation out of it,” Amanda said.
A big golf fan, Bill Smith, a Linwood native and 2011 graduate of St. Augustine Preparatory School, not only named his son Ryder but followed up on the theme with a Ryder Cup float. His wife, Kelly, and her father, Joe Noone, were members of the cheering section for the 16-month-old.
They said visiting Ocean City is par for the course for them now that Kelly’s parents have a house on the island.
“This is our second year doing this; last year we did the Olympics theme,” Bill said.
Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the feature film “Jaws,” Lee and Jordan Mahoney of Moorestown were dressed as a great white shark and oceanographer Matt Hooper, while Kathleena, 8, and Devin, 5, were Chief Martin Brody and Quint.
Jordan was in the parade four times as a girl and was pleased to be able to bring her children to the event.
“I wanted them to go in it because we still have the little trophy from when I was in it,” she said.
Maternal grandparents Jim and Alexis Sarruda were watching safely from shore. The couple have a home in the city where they love to spend time in the summer.
“This is the second generation of Baby Parade participants,” Alexis Sarudda said, adding that she likes the event so much because it epitomizes Ocean City.
“I’ve always loved just the basic Ocean City vibe,” she said. “We love that.”
Folks with larger displays were lined up outside, where Joe and Jillian Cordi, along with six or so other family members and friends, paid homage to Gillian’s Wonderland Pier, whose iconic Ferris wheel could be seen in the background. The park closed last year after more than 60 years on the boardwalk.
Boys Joseph, 4, and Aidan, 2, were loaded with ride tickets and ready for an adventure.
“This is an ode to Gillian’s pier and its closing, so the theme is the grand reopening, one day only,” Jillian said.
They live in Darien, Conn., but are natives of Richboro, Pa., who have been visiting the island for two decades.
“We grew up coming here and we come down every summer with the kids. It’s a nice tradition,” she said.
Jillian said she was disappointed that Wonderland closed.
“I grew up going there and now that my kids are of the age that they could really enjoy it, it’s a shame that it’s closed now,” she said.
In addition to the array of themed entries, participants included Wild Bill’s Entertainers, the Fred Hall Orchestra, the Absegami High School Marching Band, newly crowned Queen Infanta Izzy McAllister, a float honoring veterans, the Ocean City Beach Patrol, Junior Miss Ocean City Sarah Smith, Little Miss Ocean City Taegen Vivarelli and this year’s pageant contestants, a Wizard of Oz float, Sponge Bob, local dignitaries, local businesses, local organizations and more.
Each child receives a memento for participating in the parade, and division winners are selected.
In addition to division awards, special honors include the Leo Bamberger Founders Award, Hanscom Award, Dahlhausen Award, Canale Award, Outstanding Twins or Triplets, Baby Traveling the Greatest Distance to Participate, Best Float, Best Musical Act and the Mark Soifer Award.
2025 BABY PARADE RESULTS:
Bamberger Award
Number: 719
Names: Madelyn & Vivianna Reed
Theme: The Butterfly Sisters
Hanscom Award
Number: 712
Names: Agnes Aurene Edivan
Theme: The Cutest Pooh Bear You’ve Ever Seen!
Dahlhausen Award
Number: 714
Names: Reeve Daley
Theme: The Reigning US Open Champ!
Canale Award
Number: 421
Names: Lily & Logan Boyce, Cordelia Swisher and Colin Machado
Theme: Baby Explorers
Soifer Award
Number: 715
Names: Grace and Jack Labriola
Theme: All Roads Lead to Ocean City!
Greatest Distance Traveled
Number: 423
Names: Margaret Rose Tirello
Theme: The Hoagie Queen
From: Jacksonville, FL
Outstanding Twins or Triplets
Number: 419
Names: Liam and Christian Kelly
Theme: Beach Debut!
Division A Section 100 Winner
Number: 107
Names: Ryder Smith
Theme: 2025 Ryder Golf Cup
Division A Section 100 Runner-up
Number: 105
Names: Ashley Vitullo
Theme: Baby Bumblebee
Division A Section 200 Winner
Number: 201
Names: Marietta Willis
Theme: Sunset Beach
Division A Section 300 Winner
Number: 302
Names: Cece, Annie, Ryan and Syliva Duncan
Theme: Ocean City Sweethearts
Division A Section 300 Runner-up
Number: 303
Names: Annamae Eellis
Theme: Waves Crashing
Division B Section 400 Winner
Number: 425
Names: Brinley Sage
Theme: The Cutie Claw Machine
Division B Section 400 Runner-up
Number: 416
Names: Alexander Ciancia Leyden
Theme: Stuffed Animal Claw Machine
Division B Section 500 Winner
Number: 511
Names: Audrey and Nora Libener
Theme: Boardwalk Bites and Seagull Delights
Division B Section 500 Runner-up
Number: 507
Names: Mahalina Cantona
Theme: Bubble Bath
Division B Section 600 Winner
Number: 606
Names: Everett, Harrison, Ava, Sofia, Camden and Joseph
Theme: Costal Kahuna Cousins
Division B Section 600 Runner-up
Number: 608
Names: Kathleena and Devin Mahoney
Theme: JAWS
Division C Winner
Number: 718
Names: Joseph & Aidan Cordi, Finn Hough
Theme: Wonderland Pier is Open For Business
Division C Runner-ups
Number: 721
Names: Billie Vanderlely
Theme: Capt. Billie on the Fish & Chix
Number: 720
Names: Jackson, Gracie, Willow, Wesley Richards
Theme: Slithering Through Summer
