Families make the most of Labor Day weekend in Margate

MARGATE, N.J. (WPVI) -- Families packed the beach in Margate over Labor Day weekend, taking advantage of the sunshine and warm water for one more taste of summer.

"Come down to the shore. It's the last rah-rah, I guess. It's just a beautiful beach day, and you have Lucy the Elephant behind us," said Lucy Paccione, owner and founder of The Other Lucy Beach Grille.

With the sun shining and waves rolling in, beachgoers spent the holiday weekend swimming and spending time with friends and family.

"The water's warm, so that makes me happy cause I can actually go in it," said Emma Coleman of Washington Township, New Jersey.

For some, trips to the beach have become a family tradition.

"I like spending time at the beach with friends and family," said Ryan Richman of Voorhees.

The holiday weekend also marked the end of the busy season for businesses such as The Other Lucy Beach Grille.

"Considering the state of the economy, we were really impressed with how many people came to visit came to the shore points," Paccione said.

As beach season winds down, some visitors said they were disappointed to see summer come to an end.

"My school starts this upcoming Tuesday, but yeah I'm pretty sad that summer's ending," said Brody Schiffman of Lower Merion.

Others looked back positively on summer 2026.

"Great, it's been really fun and exciting," said Max Padersky of Lower Merion.

"It's so nice; it's wonderful down here," said Jacob Brand of Robbinsville, New Jersey.

One couple who spent the entire summer down the shore had mixed opinions about the hot weather.

"I don't like sweating, so I would like it a little cooler. I'm the opposite; I love it when it's so hot," said Matt McFarland of Washington Township, New Jersey.

For some families, though, the end of this beach season already has them looking forward to the next one.

"I had a great summer. I'm sad that it's over. But we'll be back next year. 2027," Coleman said.