OC’s Sunfest to boost business during off-season
Wednesday , September 21st is the official last day of summer. As summer comes to an end, beaches can start look a little empty, but for Ocean City, events throughout the fall can help bring those same summer crowds. Wednesday afternoon, event organizers began set up for Sunfest.
“It really is what I would refer to as our keystone event. We have guests that will come into town beginning on Thursday and and they stay all the way until Sunday, they’ll eat here they’ll lodge here”, says Frank Miller, the Ocean City Special Events Director.
Miller says Sunfest brings about 200,000 people to town and boosts local business. While Ocean City officials could not confirm how much money the festival brings in, one business that does benefit is Soriano’s Restaurant and Coffee Shop.
Patty Soriano, the restaurant manager says, “A lot of people like to come in and get set up with breakfast and then travel down to the tents and just have a great time walking around downtown.”
Manager Patty Soriano tells us she has to cut back on employees shortly after labor day when business slows down, butt she says fall events like Sunfest help keep her business running year round.
“They’ve gotten some great events through September and even into early October during the weekends so it helps during the bumper season, and the weekends picks up as the weekdays slow up,” says Soriano.
However businesses in the northern part of Ocean City think otherwise. 47 ABC also spoke to multiple bike and segway rental businesses who declined to comment on camera, but tell us Sunfest does not benefit their business. They say Sunfest attendees tend to stay by the inlet which doesn’t bring visitors to other parts of the town. Miller adds that Sunfest is just one attraction for the town during the off-season and according to him it has sparked more event ideas to keep bringing people to Ocean City year round.
“It has proven itself to be a valuable commodity and because of it we’ve seen a lot of other events come up,” says Miller.
Sunfest will kick off Thursday and runs throughout the weekend. For information on parking and shuttle service click here.
