OCEAN CITY -- Popular Boardwalk magician George Gilbert is taking initiative to begin a new street performer tradition in Ocean City.
It's not involved in a lawsuit, and will likely avoid blowback from town officials -- two pluses that buskers lately haven't been used to. It could even help alleviate some of the tension that has built up through the year among performers, town officials and a selection of Boardwalk merchants.
Gilbert, who has been performing in town the past eight summers, wants to set up a "Sunset Celebration" in the town's rarely-booked Sunset Park, on the west side of Philadelphia Avenue near the Inlet.
He proposes a nightly event where street performers would entertain guests for two or three hours both before and after that evening's sunset, with a specified main event beginning immediately after the sun goes down. The performers would bow out on nights when other park events are scheduled. The Sunset Park Party Nights concert series takes place Thursdays during the summer, but the park is void of any official celebrations most other nights.
Gilbert calls the area beautiful, but underused. "Basically, my goal is to create this to enhance the Ocean City experience," said Gilbert, who is spending the off-season performing in Florida and other places. "We want to open up a new artistic venue that gives our guests a unique artistic and family friendly experience."
Performers would be allowed to set up at the park without council approval, since it is one of the areas in town where buskers are greenlit to display their talents, according to mayor and interim city manager Rick Meehan. He said it's a great location, and a great idea. There would be no need for permitting, either, he added.
"If they want to organize and do that, that'd be terrific," said Meehan. "We would love to have the performers at Sunset Park." If council approval had been needed, Meehan said he didn't believe council would object to the celebration.
Gilbert wants to take on the planning and execution responsibilities for the celebration. He doesn't want the city to incur any cost or departmental headaches. He simply wants access to the venue, he says -- the rest would be organized and taken care of by performers.
For some time, Meehan and the council have been working to ramp up laws constraining public performances, especially on the Boardwalk. For years, performers have had to register with the town and attain a permit to perform on the planks.
In June, Town Council voted unanimously to forbid street performers and others from putting on shows in the North Division Street access area of the Boardwalk. The decision was made for safety reasons, and Meehan signed the rule into law as an emergency ordinance. Graffiti artist Mark Chase took exception to the law, calling it unconstitutional, and lodged a First Amendment complaint against the town.
In September, U.S. District Judge Ellen Hollander ruled that performers are allowed to sell their wares on the Boardwalk without having to be permitted by the city, a ruling that will stand at least until the trial's end.
Chase is all for what Gilbert is doing, he said. However, Chase still plans to set up on the Boardwalk to "help progress" his First Amendment battle.
Inspiration for an OC Sunset Celebration came from similar events Gilbert has seen during his travels. The system he has come up with is a combination of what he feels are the best ideas from setups all over the country; one of the most popular has been a tradition at Mallory Square Dock, in Key West, Fla., for years.
"It's really huge (in Key West), and everybody looks forward to it," said Councilman Brent Ashley, who initially brought Gilbert's idea to council's attention during a November meeting. "Whether we could get to that level or not, I'm not sure, but it would be a similar celebration that would attract people to Sunset Park. I don't see any negative in it at all."
Movement of some performers to the park could lessen Boardwalk congestion while giving vacationers an additional in-resort entertainment option, Ashley added.
Gilbert is actively seeking performers who want to be involved with the show who would begin this summer. He'll pick the acts as part of his organizational responsibilities, and invites those interested to contact him at george@george-gilbert.com.
His qualifications for making the selections are, according to Gilbert, his own extensive experience with many things street performer-related.
"I'm a variety performer; I'm a juggler, magician and balloon artist," Gilbert said. "I eat fires. This is what I do all over the country."
smuska@dmg.gannett.com
410-213-9442, ext. 14
It's not involved in a lawsuit, and will likely avoid blowback from town officials -- two pluses that buskers lately haven't been used to. It could even help alleviate some of the tension that has built up through the year among performers, town officials and a selection of Boardwalk merchants.
Gilbert, who has been performing in town the past eight summers, wants to set up a "Sunset Celebration" in the town's rarely-booked Sunset Park, on the west side of Philadelphia Avenue near the Inlet.
He proposes a nightly event where street performers would entertain guests for two or three hours both before and after that evening's sunset, with a specified main event beginning immediately after the sun goes down. The performers would bow out on nights when other park events are scheduled. The Sunset Park Party Nights concert series takes place Thursdays during the summer, but the park is void of any official celebrations most other nights.
Gilbert calls the area beautiful, but underused. "Basically, my goal is to create this to enhance the Ocean City experience," said Gilbert, who is spending the off-season performing in Florida and other places. "We want to open up a new artistic venue that gives our guests a unique artistic and family friendly experience."
Performers would be allowed to set up at the park without council approval, since it is one of the areas in town where buskers are greenlit to display their talents, according to mayor and interim city manager Rick Meehan. He said it's a great location, and a great idea. There would be no need for permitting, either, he added.
"If they want to organize and do that, that'd be terrific," said Meehan. "We would love to have the performers at Sunset Park." If council approval had been needed, Meehan said he didn't believe council would object to the celebration.
Gilbert wants to take on the planning and execution responsibilities for the celebration. He doesn't want the city to incur any cost or departmental headaches. He simply wants access to the venue, he says -- the rest would be organized and taken care of by performers.
For some time, Meehan and the council have been working to ramp up laws constraining public performances, especially on the Boardwalk. For years, performers have had to register with the town and attain a permit to perform on the planks.
In June, Town Council voted unanimously to forbid street performers and others from putting on shows in the North Division Street access area of the Boardwalk. The decision was made for safety reasons, and Meehan signed the rule into law as an emergency ordinance. Graffiti artist Mark Chase took exception to the law, calling it unconstitutional, and lodged a First Amendment complaint against the town.
In September, U.S. District Judge Ellen Hollander ruled that performers are allowed to sell their wares on the Boardwalk without having to be permitted by the city, a ruling that will stand at least until the trial's end.
Chase is all for what Gilbert is doing, he said. However, Chase still plans to set up on the Boardwalk to "help progress" his First Amendment battle.
Inspiration for an OC Sunset Celebration came from similar events Gilbert has seen during his travels. The system he has come up with is a combination of what he feels are the best ideas from setups all over the country; one of the most popular has been a tradition at Mallory Square Dock, in Key West, Fla., for years.
"It's really huge (in Key West), and everybody looks forward to it," said Councilman Brent Ashley, who initially brought Gilbert's idea to council's attention during a November meeting. "Whether we could get to that level or not, I'm not sure, but it would be a similar celebration that would attract people to Sunset Park. I don't see any negative in it at all."
Movement of some performers to the park could lessen Boardwalk congestion while giving vacationers an additional in-resort entertainment option, Ashley added.
Gilbert is actively seeking performers who want to be involved with the show who would begin this summer. He'll pick the acts as part of his organizational responsibilities, and invites those interested to contact him at george@george-gilbert.com.
His qualifications for making the selections are, according to Gilbert, his own extensive experience with many things street performer-related.
"I'm a variety performer; I'm a juggler, magician and balloon artist," Gilbert said. "I eat fires. This is what I do all over the country."
smuska@dmg.gannett.com
410-213-9442, ext. 14
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