WILDWOOD — When the sun starts setting after a day’s relaxation on the beach or boardwalk, or touring city attractions, Wildwood invites visitors to stay just a while longer and pull up a chair in “our favorite backyard” – Fox Park Amphitheater, which is now smoke-free.
Starting July 18, an array of musicians will perform in the Fox Park Amphitheater at 7:30 p.m. on Sundays. And, just like the city’s beaches, Sunday concerts at Fox Park are completely free of charge.
A complete list of artists may be found at www.wildwoodnj.org.
This year, Fox Park Amphitheater and the adjacent playground will be smoke-free.
“Schools play softball in this park,” Commissioner Al Brannen said. “It’s easy to pick up the field if there’s a stray paper or cup, but loads of cigarette butts? That’s a different story.”
“We want this park to be as comfortable as it can get,” Brannen continued. “But, at the same time, we have to be considerate, taking into account that this ground is used publicly.”
Brannen’s solution is to create two designated smoking areas outside the picket fence on Ocean Avenue and Atlantic Avenue, thus honoring peoples’ right to smoke outside if they so chose, yet also taking into consideration children, non-smokers, and anyone else who might appreciate a clean, grassy field.
“It’s the best of both worlds,” Brannen said, “and that’s about the best I can do.”
