REHOBOTH BEACH, Del. — As summer winds down in Rehoboth Beach, visitors may be leaving the area, but beachgoers and local business owners are reflecting on a season marked by crowds and steady activity.
For people who spent the summer in Rehoboth Beach, the crowds were hard to miss.
Nelly Marshall, who visits the area, said the busy summer season is something she has come to expect in Rehoboth Beach.
"It gets pretty crowded every year. Lifeguard competitions, Funland, everybody loves this place," Marshall said.
For local businesses, more visitors can mean more people walking through their doors. Business owners said the summer crowds helped bring activity to their businesses.
Alexandra Dupont, owner of the Lucky Poppy, said her business had a successful summer after opening last year.
"We had a fantastic summer. We just opened last year. So this is our first full summer. But it was hopping," Dupont said.
For a business experiencing its first full summer, the increased activity provided an opportunity to see how the business would perform during one of Rehoboth Beach's busiest times of year.
While summer visitors continue to be an important part of the area's activity, some locals said they are noticing changes in the number of people who choose to stay in the area throughout the year.
John Venezia said more people appear to be making Rehoboth Beach a year-round destination rather than only visiting during the traditional summer season.
"It's attracting people that are staying 12 months. So we noticed the traffic is considerably more this summer than ever," Venezia said.
That increase in year-round visitors could mean more consistent activity for local businesses beyond the summer months.
For people who return to Rehoboth Beach year after year, the crowds are part of what makes the area a popular vacation destination.
Thomas Marshall said the area's weather and location make it appealing to people looking for a summer getaway.
"People are looking for a hot, nice summer vacation. Not too hard, not too cold in the winters. And that's like kind of Delaware," Marshall said.
As Labor Day is often seen as the unofficial end to summer, the last day of summer is Sept. 22.
