August 28th, 2014
Destination? Bethany Beach, Jazz Funeral, Summer 2014, Mourning the passing of Summer 2014, Delaware Beaches, The Quiet Resort, Southern Delaware, Dress Up, Shed Tears, Laugh a Little
The Quiet Resort of Bethany Beach, Delaware, was really quiet then. On Labor Day, those streets were rolled up. Bethany did not have, on those early days, a pharmacy…it was a dry town. Only one grocery store. That’s how small it was.
During the winter there were only 500 of us living there. So one summer, former Bethany Beach Councilman, Moss Wagner, and others in town like Ken Cloud, who owned Clouds, a children’s store, decided that a proper burial would be most appropriate. A sending away the summer….not to forget it but to remember it.
Gather friends…or the ones that were left in town and celebrate!! Share your memories, even shed a few tears…..dress up!
My photos here are from September of 1993.
Moss is at the head of the funeral. You can see it says R.I.P. Summer ’93.
The Jazz Funeral was usually around 4:30 p.m. My friend, Sharon, and I would try to make it every year. Then, we would bring our families to enjoy family entertainment, including the ritual of the lifeguards running towards the water for one last swim.
This photo is also from September, 1993. If you look closely, the lifeguards are naked. The bathing suits are around their necks. Usually, the girls did not take the suits off, but at times they would show a little breast. If you notice on the photo, people are walking on the beach….nobody is looking….the most natural thing in the world. Those were the good times…haha.
This Labor Day Week-End, it is a bit different. On Friday, 8/29, there is a Silent Auction to be held at Bethany Blues at 6 N. Pennsylvania Avenue from 3 – 4:45 p.m. It is a fundraising event for the Sussex Country Big Brothers and Sisters.
And, on Monday, Labor Day, at 5:30 p.m. the Jazz Funeral will start on the Boardwalk. It is big, it is fun, and it is still family entertainment. I am not sure if they do some sort of swimming….it would be with clothes on, believe me.
Anyway, everyone is invited to participate. We did have a beautiful summer, so why not remember it in this special way. Have fun. Cry your heart out, will you?
This sleepy little town has come a long way….
Tags: Activities, Bethany Beach, Bethany Beach Jazz Funeral, Bethany Blues in Bethany, Delaware, Delaware Beaches, entertainment, Events, Fundraising Event, Southern Delaware, Summer 2014, Sussex County, Sussex County Big Brothers and Sisters, The Quiet Resort, Visit Bethany Beach, What to do at the beaches
Hi Gloria, You have so many fond and fun memories! Can’t believe the naked lifeguards! LOL