OCEAN CITY, Md. -- Springfest, now in its second day of 2024, is the towns first big event of the year. It gives some of the downtown businesses a glimpse of what they can expect in the coming months.
The thousands of people who flood into the resort town for Springfest can definitely help out businesses, especially on the boardwalk. As we found out on Friday though, when the sun wasn't shining and it was a little bit chilly, the weather can be a huge factor.
King's, a boardwalk business specializing in sweet treats of the frozen variety, told us Friday didn't live up to expectations.
"On days like today, it's pretty cold out here, everybody's bundled up and business is slow," said Patrick King.
Not everyone was suffering though; Thrashers French Fries, a beach town staple, looked as busy as ever. So, with the big crowds seen on the boardwalk this week, King's is remaining optimistic.
"It's the way it goes some days," said King. "But Springfest is a good thing they've got plenty of people down there."
The chilly weather also meant people were looking to indoor venues like The Cork Bar. Where the bartenders were busy, empty seats were tough to come by and there were plenty of trips to the cash register.
"We see a huge influx of people coming down, we see a great crowd." said Julian Kelm, Kitchen Manager. "A lot of people that come back year to year, I mean it's great for the businesses, it's great for the bar, it's great for the town and we absolutely love it."
Susan Jones, Executive Director of the Hotel Motel Restaurant Association said the vendors inside of Springfest also see success.
"For the small mom and pop kind of businesses or farmers market type of businesses, this is a great way to get out their products in front of a lot of people," said Jones.
Springfest is one of the key events for Ocean City economics, but it certainly doesn't hurt when the weather plays along.
