Long weekend draws crowds to Avalon, New Jersey

AVALON, New Jersey (WPVI) -- Gwyneth Shaw and her 8-year-old son Linus are kicking off their summer with a splash.

"First time we've been to the beach this season and we're actually pleasantly surprised because the water is not freezing," said Shaw of Mount Airy.

The whole Shaw family was off Monday, as many were for Juneteenth, so they came to Avalon, New Jersey for some fun in the ocean.

"I like to ride waves because they're a lot of fun," said Linus.

For Mary Weldon and her grandkids, they just need some buckets and wiffle balls to stay entertained. They dug holes for the buckets and took turns tossing the balls in from a distance.

"The kids start throwing and they get points for what buckets they get it in," explained Mary Weldon of Broomall, Pa.

We saw rounds of pickleball and even beach basketball with a hoop that was anchored into the sand.

"You get to dunk a lot so it's fun," said John Corcoran of Malvern, Pa. who spent the afternoon playing with friends.

And with all these people on the beach, businesses on the island are celebrating a strong weekend.

It was a busy weekend at Buccaneer Ice Cream and Candy in Avalon.

"There's a lot of activities that have been brought in for Father's Day weekend to kind of draw business," said manager Kiriana D'Imperio. "So now that there's a federal holiday that Monday I think more people have stayed down than typically would have."

Many shore towns are hoping for a banner summer.

A new economic report out of Wildwood showed a record-breaking year for visitor spending in 2022, reporting 131% of 2019's spending levels.