Businesses on Oregon coast excited for bigger crowds this Memorial Day weekend

SEASIDE Ore. (KPTV) - It’s been a busy holiday weekend for businesses on the coast. And people running those businesses tell us they’re excited the warmer weather is bringing the crowds that their coastal towns depend on.

Businesses along the coast said this Memorial Day weekend they saw more people than this time last year. They said it’s a great sign for their unofficial kickoff to the tourist season.

The Oregon coast was the place to be for many people this Memorial Day weekend.

“This is their first time out in the PNW, so I wanted to show them one of my favorite spots, which is Cannon Beach, it’s beautiful here,” Cydnee Olson, a visitor, said.

Visitors spent the weekend in Cannon Beach exploring. One restaurant serving up good eats and local brews said business this Memorial Day weekend has been great.

“We had a big crowd on Saturday, big crowd on Friday,” Zachary Stone, of Screw & Brew, said. “Screw & Brew. We’ve got really good beers. All local. We keep all of our food local as well.”

Locals said Cannon Beach’s charm is the warmth of its small-town hospitality.

“You’ve got Haystack Rock, obviously. You know it’s historic area. It’s a really quaint town,” Stone said.

Some visitors said they’re just cruising through.

“Taking a ride down along the coast all the way to California,” Robert Quenga, a visitor said.

“Riding with my brother-in-law. That was the plan,” Rick Camacho, a visitor said.

Fox 12 also headed a few miles up the coast to Seaside. A director with the Seaside Downtown Development Association said this busy weekend is a great sign for the months ahead.

“It’s been a great kickoff to summer. A lot of people came down,” Kerri Lambert, spokesperson for the Seaside Downtown Development Association, said. “Last Memorial Day weekend was good, but this is looking even better.”

Locals are confident you’ll enjoy everything the Oregon coast has to offer.

“Everybody that comes here ends up loving it more than they expect,” Stone said.

And visitors we spoke with – agreed.

“I want to move here. It’s awesome,” AJ Bibergall, a visitor said.

The business association said there are a lot of great events coming up this summer. A couple of car shows, corgi day, and said the Fourth of July is always a good time in Seaside.

“We have a lot of events coming up. June 17th will be Muscle and Chrome Car Show. Registration is open for that. In September, we’ll have the bigger car show,” Lambert said. “June 24th, we’ll have Corgi Day that’s moving up from Cannon Beach.”

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