National Cherry Festival
TRAVERSE CITY -- Forget high gas prices and economic troubles, the National Cherry Festival is having a bang-up year.
"It's been the best festival since I've been involved, in terms the number of people here," three-year festival Director Tom Menzel said.
Terrific weather is the chief factor in this year's strong turnout, he said.
"We've been really, really blessed with good weather," Menzel said. "The crowds have been overwhelming. This weekend, traffic was bumper-to-bumper all the way north of Acme."
Paul Campbell manages Sue's J&S; Hamburg tent at the Open Space and noted the big crowds as he warmed the grill for an 11 a.m. open.
Sales have been just as strong this year as they have over J&S;'s 17-year stretch at the festival, despite the flagging economy, he said.
"I don't think the gas prices have anything to do with it. People are coming," Campbell said Thursday. "We are having a great year so far."
Chicago resident Dave Tomczyk said gas prices didn't stop him from visiting the Cherry Festival for the first time since he was young.
"We thought about flying, but no matter how high gas prices are, it's still cheaper to drive than to fly," Tomczyk said, as he searched for information at the Traverse City Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Brad Van Dommelen, the visitors bureau president, said 13,000 to 14,000 people stopped by that office over the July 4 holiday weekend, a number equal to or above previous years.
"It's because it was the Fourth of July, the start of the Cherry Festival, it's a Blue Angels year and there was good weather," Van Dommelen said. "You can weather the gas prices, you can weather the economy, but you can't weather the weather."
Minerva's Executive Chef Marc Pritchard was most impressed with the mid-week pedestrian traffic on the Open Space.
"There seems to be a lot more people down here this year as opposed to this time other years," Pritchard said. "We are ahead of where we were every year we have been down here. Last Saturday was the biggest day we have done ever."
Even the downtown stores, whose owners sometimes chafe at the Cherry Festival throngs, report strong business.
"People seem to be in a good mood and spending their money," said Elizabeth Golden, of Golden Shoes.
Menzel noted one slight drawback to the big crowds.
"We've been so overwhelmed with the numbers, we've had trouble picking up the garbage," he said. "When there's a lot of garbage, you know there's a lot of people."
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