By DON STINE
ASBURY PARK – It was a great four-day run at the Asbury Park beachfront over the July 4 holiday with beach revenues up a bit from last year and business owners happy, too.
“I think we are a little ahead of last year. We had good beach weather and a good four-day run because July 4 fell on a Thursday. We did well, needless to say,” Beach Utility Manager Gary Giberson Sr. said.
Giberson said the city took in about $42,000 in beach badge sales on July 4 and about the same amount on Sat., July 6.
“We took in about $22,000 on Friday and about $36,000 on Saturday. Overall, we certainly did well more than $100,000 and, actually, I think we are a little ahead of last year,” he said.
And while the weather cooperated over July 4, it wasn’t that way earlier this year.
“We had only one good day over Memorial Day weekend when we had a great three-day weekend last year,” Giberson said.
But, overall, people were pretty happy over July 4.
“The fireworks display was amazing and we had good crowds, both during the day and night, at the boardwalk. There were no major incidents reported other than a few splinters and one heat exhaustion problem,” he said.
“Plus the water warmed up over the past few days and it is in the 60s now,” he said.
Business along the boardwalk was also brisk.
“It was a fantastic weekend, especially since July 4 being on Thursday gave us an extra day,” said Kay Harris, owner of the Asbury Galleria in the Convention Hall Arcade.
“The heat just brought everybody out in droves. I’ve never seen this many people on July 4- it was the largest crowd I have ever seen,” she said.
And Harris said she believes other boardwalk business owners are happy as well.
“Business was excellent. People stayed out later, probably because of the heat. Plus I’ve noticed people coming down to the boardwalk earlier in the season than I have in past years,” she said.
Pictured above are lifeguards on Asbury’s North beach. COASTER photo.
