Saturday's Hot Fun in the Summertime Beach Festival in Patrick County filled the park in Patrick County.
Sunday, June 10, 2007
By DEBBIE HALL - Bulletin Staff Writer
Some local merchants smiled all the way to the bank Saturday as thousands of fans flocked to the beach music festival in Stuart.
Buddy Dollarhite, a co-manager at Lowe’s Foods, had to work Saturday because the store was busy with fans buying ice, picnic supplies and other items.
“I feel the beach music festival contributed� to the spike in sales, he said.
While a popular beach tune is “I Love Beach Music,� Dollarhite sings a similar tune: He loves the beach music festival.
“Anytime you can get people to visit and purchase in your community, that’s fine,� he said.
Up the road at Hardee’s of Stuart, Manager Brenda Springston also reported sales “over normal. We know it’s (festival) coming and we prepare for it� by bringing in additional staff.
The “Hot Fun In The Summertime� festival is in its 26th year.
Increasing popularity prompted an expansion of the event to two days, with entertainment both Friday night and Saturday.
Springston said that means more visitors spending more money over a longer time period. The increased business “starts Thursday night� as a wave of fans arrive, she added.
Mark Shelton of Danville was among the crowd and has attended the festival for the past decade.
Saturday’s crowd “is the biggest I’ve seen in a while,� he said.
June Meineke of Atlanta Ga., a first-timer at the event, was surprised at the various ages of the fans present.
“Both the older and younger people are here,� Meineke said as she ate lunch with friend Eric Scheipers of Winston-Salem, N.C.
“I haven’t been here since 1999,� Scheipers said, but he has fond memories.
“He told me all about what a fun time it was,� Meineke said, adding Scheipers’ description was accurate.
“It’s a really nice atmosphere, a nice venue and it’s a perfect natural amphitheater,� she said of Wayside Park.
Mary Carrico of Fries also visited the show for the first time Saturday, but she already was planning to attend the event next year.
“I love it. It’s great,� she said, adding that she and her husband, William Dean Carrico, invited “a bunch of friends� to attend the event with them but because it was a last-minute decision, they were unable to come.
Carrico believes that will change next year.
“This is awesome,� she said, as people nearby meandered through the throng of fans to a makeshift beach in front of the stage to shag to Showtime’s rendition of “Gone Fishin’.�
Lisa Land and Lester Land, both of Stoneville, N.C., enjoyed the music, the crowd and the breeze.
“I do like it and I want to come back next year,� Lisa Land said.
Teresa Boyd of Mount Airy, N.C., is a veteran festivalgoer, having attended them for the last 15 years.
“Everything is ‘Hot Fun In The Summertime,’� she said, adding that she does not have a favorite performer.
“Any of ‘em� are awesome, Boyd said. “It don’t matter.�
Augusta Carroll, also of Mount Airy, N.C., said, “The music is great and there’s lots of good people watching (opportunities), that’s for sure.�
By early Saturday afternoon, Richard Puckett, an organizer of the event, estimated the crowd between 4,000 and 5,000 “and they’re still coming in.� “A lot of people are coming later because they know if they don’t get here until 2 or 3 p.m.� there’s still plenty of fun to be had, he said.
The show Friday also was deemed a success, according to organizer Stanley Fain.
The festival is sponsored by the Patrick County Jaycees, which uses proceeds to fund community projects.
Source: Martinsville Bulletin, June 10, 2007, page 1
