With the Fourth of July holiday lodged in the middle of the week this year, tourists flocked to the Lakes Region to enjoy an extended weekend of celebration.
Despite a few bursts of thundershowers during the weekend, turnout was strong as restaurants catered to crowds of locals and visitors, boaters broke waves on area lakes, towns held parades in celebration of the nation’s 230th birthday and beachgoers grilled their fill of burgers and hot dogs at parks on Sebago Lake.
Tassel Top Park was “wicked busy” with a constant flow of people who enjoyed the scenic lake-side setting despite high water levels, said Park Ranger Susan LaMarre.
The threat of thundershowers on Tuesday’s holiday did make some visitors shy away, but, overall, the park exceeded 2,000 visitors during the five-day extended weekend.
“The weather’s been the only thing that’s been against us and the high water,” LaMarre said.
Through the holiday weekend, Charlie’s on the Causeway restaurant in Naples served hundreds of customers a day out on the patio overlooking Brandy Pond and inside the restaurant. Many visitors enjoyed cooked lobster and grilled meat at Charlie’s new “Lobster Bakes” that take place behind the restaurant on weekends.
“We had a great weekend,” said Keith Dyer, co-owner of the restaurant. “The terrific weather Monday really brought people out and the fireworks were great on the Fourth of July.”
Local motels, hotels and campgrounds were full of visitors for the weekend, too. Windham Way Motel in North Windham was booked straight through the extended weekend and will remain at full capacity through most of July as well, said Dustin Jordan, front desk manager for the motel.
The Inn at Long Lake in Naples was at about half capacity through the weekend and booked full for the Fourth of July with tourists turning out for an incredible fireworks display that night, said Darlene Lord, assistant innkeeper.
This year’s fireworks display in Naples was made possible by generous contributions from local businesses. Late afternoon fog and light rain shed doubt on whether the fireworks would go on, but the bad weather passed quickly.
As for activity on Long Lake, Dan Allen, owner of Causeway Marina said, “the water was dead” on the Tuesday holiday with the threat of bad weather looming and slowing down his business. But come nightfall, boaters swarmed to Long Lake to catch a view of the fireworks over Long Lake.
This is the beginning of the busy season for restaurants, marinas and lodgings in the Lakes Region as tourists and second-homers return to enjoy all the Lakes Region has to offer.
“It’s been busy this year; more so than last year,” said Mike McClellan, director of the Greater Bridgton Chamber of Commerce. “All the parades and fireworks went off without a hitch.”
There was worry that the Fourth of July would be slower than past years because many reservations at area lodging canceled because of talk of bad weather for the weekend, said Barbara Clark, director of the Sebago Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce. But the weather did turn around, as did business in the Lakes Region.
“Several weeks ago, they had people calling canceling and it ended up, thankfully, picking up last week,” Clark said.
In coming weeks, there are more celebrations with two town festivals – Sebago Days next Thursday, Friday and Saturday and Casco Days the last weekend in July – and other events as the summer rolls on.
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