TidalWave Music Festival 2023 gets underway in Atlantic City

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (CBS) -- It's shaping up to be a beautiful beach weekend down the shore, and some of the biggest names in country music are set to perform in Atlantic City.

The TidalWave Music Festival kicked off Friday afternoon, attracting fans from across the country.

Tens of thousands of country music fans are expected over the next few days. Some people have been waiting months for this.

The three-day music festival precedes the Atlantic Air Show, which will take place Wednesday.

Mayor Marty Small, Sr. expects both events will bring millions of dollars to Atlantic City's economy.

"It's extremely important," Mayor Small said. "We're not just going to do it on casino gaming alone anymore, so the more entertainment events that we have throughout the city, the better the economy will be."

At the festival, Florence Meier chose to listen to the music from a beach chair on the boardwalk.

"It's a great way to come together and enjoy the day, the music and the people," Florence Meier said. "People are great. It's a great place to come for concerts, for music. I'm not a gambler, but I come for the music."

Kim McLaughlin drove all the way from Havertown to enjoy the festival.

"I love just country music," McLaughlin said. "The meaning of country music, everything about it."

CBS News Philadelphia also had the chance to speak with a rising country star who got things started here in AC.

"We got to be front row for Thomas Rhett," Deanna Balut of Clinton, New Jersey, said.

Balut was here last year and made new friends while waiting in line since 8 a.m. Friday.

"This is awesome," Ashley Mears of Baltimore, Maryland, said. "This is an awesome experience. I love it."

The TidalWave Music Festival kicked off Friday afternoon. Some fans already have their chairs in the sand, waiting to hear some of the biggest names in country music.

Rhett, Jason Aldean, and Brooks and Dunn are the festival's headliners.

One group of friends drove about seven hours from Boston to Atlantic City for the festival.

"We've been waiting three months to be here," Noah Schrank said. "We got our hotel room three months ago, our tickets three months ago and we've been hyped. We're so excited."

Mackenzie Carpenter opened the festival on the next from the Nashville stage. She's a rising star originally from Georgia and this was her first time performing at TidalWave in Atlantic City.

"I always hoped that my name would be on that sign with other people that I looked up to, but this has been a summer full of having my name on that sign, and it sounds really cheesy but all I can think of I'm so thankful," Carpenter said.

"The people who I saw last year on the side stage have grown so much already," Clare Simmonds of Ridley Park said, "and this is definitely an exciting event."

It's an exciting event that also pumps millions of dollars into the local economy, and many businesses are hoping for a boost.

The festival runs through Sunday.

In:
• Atlantic City
• New Jersey
• Atlantic County
• Music