"Watch the tram car please" could be heard up and down the boardwalk as families ate ice cream, rode the Ferris wheel, and played arcade games.
"I have been here my whole entire life and it's the first time in a long time I've seen this many families," said Wildwood Mayor Ernie Troiano.
Troiano is happy about that and said there have been a few issues with the 10 p.m. boardwalk curfew for kids so far.
"Any time it's a safe, quiet evening and the course of the day here, that's a win," said Troiano.
Another win is the return of iced coffee carts on the North Wildwood beach.
"It was a little slow in the morning but it picked up a little bit. Turned out to be pretty good," said Sean Tippin from Cinnaminson.
Workers trudged through packed beaches; the windy conditions could not keep the crowds away.
The water was quite cold but the beach provided plenty of entertainment for these young architects.
"Like canals kind of. And like tiny sand castles on water," said 9-year-old William Karl.
On the water, beach patrol kept a lookout for the brave few who chose to swim. Lifeguards do have a warning for the start of summer.
"Only swim on guarded beaches and only when the lifeguards are on duty. A lot of times after Memorial Day weekend, people stay down the shore. We're not guarding everyday," North Wildwood Beach Patrol Chief Bill Ciavarelli.
Those full patrols begin in mid-June, but the summer season is officially underway down the shore.
"Happy Memorial Day!" Kids on the beach cheered.