OLD ORCHARD BEACH, Maine — Memorial Day weekend kicked off with some serious sunshine, attracting visitors near and far to Old Orchard Beach and drumming up business for local shopkeepers. Still, Monday rain showers did put a brief damper on things.
"It's a little bit of a disappointment this year because of the weather," tourist Holly Burke said.
Burke has been visiting Old Orchard Beach with her family every Memorial Day weekend for the past three years.
"Friday and Saturday were perfect and the beach yesterday was absolutely amazing," she said Monday.
The weather from Friday to Sunday was mostly sunny, and temperatures were reflective of summer weather. Local businesses in the area said they always feel the effects of Memorial Day weather through their sales.
"The whole town kind of opens up starting this weekend, so it's really cool to see. It kind of sets the tone for the summer," Ally McGrath, manager of Dickinson's Candy, said.
McGrath said Dickinson's made most of their money in the first half of the weekend, consistent with the nice weather. "It was super busy, lines were up the stairs," she enthused.
McGrath even went so far as to say this year brought an unusually high amount of foot traffic.
"Saturday and Sunday was maybe better than our previous years. We were surprised by how many people we had," she said.
However, Monday brought a change of pace for Dickinson's.
"With the parade, we usually have a lot of people hanging outside waiting around. This year it's a little bit quieter because of the rain," McGrath added.
Corner's Surf Company owner Blake Laughlin said he felt the brunt of the topsy-turvy weather this year.
"I think our whole Memorial Day weekend was just condensed into Saturday," Laughlin said.
He said he was satisfied with business on Saturday, but overall, his retail store has seen better years.
"It doesn't hold a candle to the last three years, I'd say," Laughlin added.
The surf rental shop owner said he doesn't believe weather is responsible for the slowdown, but instead, cited lifestyle changes over the last few years.
"Everything's just kind of back to normal like pre-2020 and that's how it used to be. We never had a May busy-ness until Covid hit," Laughlin said.
He said fewer people are working from home and schools are now fully back in session, making it harder for people to travel this year and that is affecting business.
No matter the reason, it's clear for business owners in a tourist hot spot like Old Orchard Beach, that a slower Memorial Day isn't the norm.
However, even for families like the Burke's, who wanted to keep the weekend getaway going into Monday, cutting it short doesn't mean it wasn't a success.
"Overall, my kids, they always have fun," Burke enthused.
She said her whole family will be back again next year to do the whole thing over again, rain or shine.