A pianist plays a familiar melody as children dance on the wooden planks. A cellist draws curious families closer with the rich sound of an instrument more commonly heard in concert halls than beside the beach. Vacationers pause with slices of pizza, grandparents sway with toddlers, and cyclists slow just enough to listen before continuing on their way.
For decades, boardwalk entertainers have been part of Ocean City’s identity. Long before social media or streaming platforms, the boardwalk gave independent musicians something nearly impossible to find elsewhere: thousands of listeners walking past every night.
“It’s one of the best forms of exposure probably in the entire music industry as far as independent artists are concerned,” said Bryan Woolbert, who performed on the boardwalk for nearly nine years. “You have a constant stream of families and visitors walking by. If you do a really good job, you get a lot of attention, and you get to meet some incredible people.”
Today, a new generation is discovering that same opportunity.
Kealia Grace Smith, an 18-year-old cellist from Manahawkin who will attend Boston University’s College of Fine Arts this fall, recently became one of Ocean City’s newest licensed boardwalk entertainers.
For Smith, performing on the boardwalk fulfills a dream that began years ago.
“I remember performing in the Ocean City Talent Show when I was eight years old,” she said. “Afterward, I was walking on the boardwalk and saw all the musicians performing. I remember thinking, ‘One day I want to do that.'”
This summer, she finally is.
Becoming a busker
Most visitors probably don’t think much about what it takes to become a boardwalk entertainer.
The process begins long before the first note is played.
Since 2024, performers are required to obtain a permit through the city before signing up for performance dates and receiving an assigned location. Every musician, magician, juggler and other street performer on the Ocean City Boardwalk begins the season the same way: by applying for a Boardwalk Entertainer License through the City of Ocean City.
Under the city’s current ordinance, performers must submit an application to the City Clerk’s Office, pay a $200 seasonal permit fee, and receive approval before they are eligible to perform. Applicants must also resolve any outstanding violations from previous seasons before a license will be issued.
Licensed entertainers may perform only during the official boardwalk entertainment season, which runs May 1 through Oct. 31. Performances are limited to two designated entertainment zones: Fifth Street through Eighth Street and 12th Street through 14th Street. Musicians and other entertainers are assigned locations within those zones, with performers spaced apart to allow multiple acts to perform simultaneously.
The city currently permits performances on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings. Entertainers may perform between 6 and 10 p.m., although Sunday performances may not begin before 7 p.m., and no performer may occupy the same location for more than four hours in a 24-hour period. Special events, such as Family Nights, may include extended hours.
Behind the scenes
Unlike traditional concerts, there are no intermissions. “The audience is constantly changing,” Woolbert explained. “If you’re standing there with a tip bucket but you’re not performing, people naturally wonder why you’re there.”
For Woolbert, two hours became the sweet spot. As a vocalist who sang with a powerful, belting style, longer performances could strain his voice.
Smith, meanwhile, often performs for three consecutive hours on cello. “It’s definitely a good test of stamina,” she laughed. “I’ve practiced for long periods before, but playing a full hour-long set list three times in a row without really stopping is challenging.”
The weather can be just as demanding. Rain, humidity and even temperature determine whether musicians can safely perform. While a passing shower may inconvenience a guitarist, it can seriously damage delicate instruments.
“For the cello, it’s really up to the weather,” Smith said. “Even on a nice night, I have to keep retuning because of the moisture coming off the ocean. You have to be very careful.”
Woolbert remembers countless evenings spent watching radar apps and storm clouds instead of focusing on music. One memory still makes him smile.
Years ago, after thunderstorms rolled across the island, he and his mother rushed their equipment inside what was then Big Slice Pizza to keep everything dry.
“The owner was incredible,” Woolbert recalled. “He let us bring all of our equipment inside. That’s the kind of relationship so many of us had with the shop owners.”
He tried to return the favor. Between songs, Woolbert regularly encouraged audiences to visit nearby businesses, recommending everything from hot pretzels to Johnson’s Popcorn and Dippin’ Dots. “I always believed if we (businesses and buskers) supported each other, everybody benefited,” he said.
Although buskers perform independently, neither musician does it entirely alone. Each evening, entertainers haul equipment from parking lots onto the boardwalk, often using beach carts or wagons, before setting up for performances that can last anywhere from two to three hours.
Smith credits her parents as her unofficial road crew. “They help carry everything,” she laughed. “The cello, the music stand, the carpet, my tip jar—they’re the reason I’m able to do it.”
Woolbert’s family played the same role throughout his career. His parents frequently accompanied him to Ocean City to help unload keyboards, speakers and other equipment before each performance.
Strangers become an audience
For both musicians, however, the performances themselves are only part of the experience.
The real reward comes from the people.
“My favorite part was always interacting with the community,” Woolbert said. “Watching kids dance, seeing families smile, seeing familiar faces come back year after year—those are the memories that stay with me.”
Over nearly a decade, Woolbert built a devoted following. “There were families who came every summer and made it a point to stop by,” he said. “I became part of their boardwalk tradition.”
Smith has already begun seeing that same magic unfold, even though she only started performing this summer.
“I think the biggest thing has been watching people’s reactions,” she said. “Some children have never even seen a cello before. They’ll come up and ask questions, and they’re fascinated by it.”
Others simply sit nearby. “I’ve had people stay for 20 or 30 minutes just listening while looking at the ocean,” she said. “It’s really sweet.”
Looking into the future
Over the years, however, Woolbert watched the entertainment program evolve. Regulations governing boardwalk performers became increasingly restrictive, and competition among musicians intensified.
He eventually spoke before the City Council, advocating for boardwalk entertainers and encouraging greater cooperation among performers, businesses and city officials.
Eventually, after nearly nine years, he decided it was time to move on. Woolbert has since moved to St. Petersburg, Florida, but still visits South Jersey regularly. Even after stepping away, his affection for Ocean City remains obvious.
For Smith, the future feels full of possibility.
This fall she’ll head to Boston University to study music performance, adding the Ocean City Boardwalk to an already impressive résumé that includes appearances with the Philadelphia Orchestra, solo performances with the Main Line Symphony Orchestra, weddings, community concerts and local events.
Yet she says performing on the boardwalk offers something concert halls cannot.
“I hope people can see classical music differently,” Smith said. “Maybe someone doesn’t have the opportunity to go hear an orchestra in Philadelphia or New York. Bringing that music to the boardwalk makes it accessible to everyone.”
The music between the waves
As another summer unfolds, hundreds of thousands of visitors will stroll Ocean City’s famous wooden boards. Many will stop for pizza, saltwater taffy or a ride. Some will pause because they hear a familiar song drifting through the evening air.
For the audience, it’s an unexpected gift—a soundtrack woven into the story of summer, one song at a time.
Readers interested in following the musicians featured in this story can find Bryan Woolbert’s music, videos, advocacy work and boardwalk history at www.bryanwoolbertmusic.com. Kealia Grace Smith regularly posts her Ocean City Boardwalk performance schedule and musical updates on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and other social media platforms under Kealia Grace Music.
