Sunshine furnished the fireworks for this splendid July Fourth
The fourth of July holiday weekend brought the welcome return of sunshine and summer visitors to Martha's Vineyard. The combination proved more of a boon for beach traffic than businesses, however, disappointing many retailers and restaurant owners hoping for a jump-start to a summer season stalled by the recession and a soggy, cool June.
Bombs burst over Edgartown. Photo by Susan Safford
This year, with the July 4 holiday falling on Saturday, many people started their travels on Thursday because they had Friday off. That resulted in busy traffic on both weekdays, according to Steamship Authority (SSA) general manager Wayne Lamson.
"We do not have all of the numbers for this past weekend yet, but it was busy, perhaps as busy as last year," Mr. Lamson wrote in an email this week. "By Saturday morning, all of our off-site parking lots in Falmouth and Bourne were full."
The lots were reopened as other customers exited the lots, he said, and by late Saturday afternoon, the SSA was able to accommodate everyone on regularly scheduled trips and tie up freight vessels for the day.
Martha's Vineyard Airport Manager Sean Flynn said air traffic was about the same as last year, although he will not receive tower counts until the end of the month. Mr. Flynn said other numbers such as landing fees are about the same, although fuel sales were slightly down.
For those who arrived by sea, Oak Bluffs Harbormaster Todd Alexander said traffic in the harbor is definitely down from last year. "We had a lot of single moorings, so it looked full, but we usually have triples," Mr. Alexander said. "Last year, I would have had at least a one-page waiting list."
Judging by August reservations, he said it doesn't look like it will get much busier. Mr. Alexander said he was not surprised, given that he received half as many summer reservations as last year when he started accepting them in February.
Tisbury harbormaster Jay Wilbur described holiday weekend activity as "medium," which he expected, with plenty going on but no incidents out of the ordinary.
"In boating the season really begins on the fourth of July unless the weather is perfect in June, and ours was anything but," Mr. Wilbur said.
The inner harbor was full, and Mr. Wilbur estimated moorings in the outer harbor, which can handle larger boats and overflow from the inner harbor, were about three-quarters occupied.
Edgartown Harbormaster Charlie Blair said the harbor was busy for the first time this season. With increased boat traffic, a few mishaps occurred.
In addition to some minor boat "fender benders," Mr. Blair said Steven Bingham of Oak Bluffs suffered a severe cut on his thumb from a jet-ski propeller and was taken by ambulance to Martha's Vineyard Hospital's emergency room for treatment.
Nonetheless, Mr. Blair deemed it a successful weekend overall. "The fireworks went great," he said, adding that unlike last year's fog and drizzle, "We had clear weather so everyone on shore could see them."
Edgartown's 4th of July parade also went off without a hitch, according to long-time organizer Fred B. (Ted) Morgan, who joined four other World War II veterans on the parade reviewing stand.
He said Edgartown American Legion Post 186 has been working with him for the past two years in preparation for taking over the parade's sponsorship and organization.
"I've never seen as many people along the route," Mr. Morgan said. "It was a great turnout. The fireworks were outstanding, too. It was a full day of celebration."
Many Islanders and visitors took advantage of the mild weekend weather to enjoy outdoor activities and beaches.
"It was an interesting weekend; we're cautiously optimistic," said Chris Kennedy, Islands Regional Director of the Trustees of the Reservations (TOTR).
TOTR gauges visitor volume by looking at counts of over-sand vehicle traffic on Norton Point Beach and traffic on Dyke Bridge on Chappaquiddick, as well as the number of tour-takers and permits sold.
"We did better than we hoped to do. We did about 50 percent more business this 4th of July weekend than last year, and I was very pleased to see that," Mr. Kennedy said.
He and many Island shopkeepers and restaurant owners thought weather played a critical role, although opinions differed as to whether it was positive or negative.
"Our business was decent; it was just a different pace than what we saw last year," said Phil McAndrews, who co-owns Offshore Ale in Oak Bluffs with his wife Colleen. "Last year's weather was drizzly and rainy, which I think sometimes helps restaurants because people have to be inside, as opposed to a beach day. But it was great to see the sun shine, and it was great to see the streets full of tourists."
Bob O'Neil, manager of David Ryan's restaurant in Edgartown, said he thought the good weather was a big help in attracting weekend crowds that brought plenty of business to the eatery. At the Atlantic Fish and Chop House in Edgartown, manager Jamie Zambrana said they served more than 1,200 patrons over the holiday weekend.
J.B. Blau, owner of Sharky's Cantina in Edgartown and Oak Bluffs, said his restaurants also did well. "People here have different habits this year," Mr. Blau said. "We're not disappointed. We staffed and budgeted for a soft summer. Overall, business is down less than we expected, and we're happy."
Beth and Louis Larsen, owners of The Net Result seafood market in Tisbury, had a very busy weekend. Lobsters and swordfish were the top sellers, along with takeout foods such as fried clams, lobster rolls, and clam chowder.
"Based on our wholesale business and the orders we filled, I think the restaurants that buy from us did fairly well over the weekend, too," Ms. Larsen said.
Sharon Kelly, owner of Secret Garden gift shop in Oak Bluffs, said her holiday sales figures were similar to last year's.
"I guess the good news is we're not experiencing any downturn compared to previous years, but we're not making any big gains," Ms. Kelly said. "With the good weather, people were out enjoying the beach. Cloudy days actually are good for us. That's why we retailers say that every cloud has a silver lining."
In Tisbury, Rainy Day owner Heather Kochin said her business was not as busy as in some years past, which she also attributed to the weather, and that it seemed like fewer people were on the Island for this year's holiday.
For Kate Walpole, owner of the retail store Katydid in Edgartown, business was good over the weekend, but still down overall. "The sun came out so more people were buying summer wear," she said. "But it definitely wasn't record breaking."
Claudia jewelry storeowner Claudia Lee, however, said she expected sales at her Edgartown and Vineyard Haven to be a little slow last weekend, which is normal for her businesses at this time of year. "Our busiest season isn't until after the holiday, so we will see what business is really like soon enough," she said.
For Mansion House owners Susan and Sherman Goldstein, this was the first time in their almost 25 years of ownership that the hotel's 40 rooms were not sold out for the July 4 weekend. Ms. Goldstein said although the rainy June weather may have had some impact on reservations, most people plan ahead and book July 4 accommodations long before then.
"I've spoken to some of my colleagues, and we all seem to be in the same boat," she said. August, however, is filling up, Ms. Goldstein added.
Peter Martell, owner of the Wesley House hotel in Oak Bluffs, said about two-thirds of his hotel's 95 rooms were occupied for the July 4 weekend, and the next two weekends do not look much better.
"What I'm discovering is that people are waiting until the last minute to decide if they're going to make reservations, and it's weather-related," Mr. Martell said. "If it's going to be hot and sunny, they're apt to come down. If not, they're not going to want to spend their time sitting in a hotel room while it rains."
As Ms. Goldstein summed up, "It seems to me it's going to continue to be an interesting summer."
Lauren Folino contributed reporting to this article.
