THE BALLOON MAN

Springfest is 'excuse to come to the beach'


 

Stephen Decatur Naval Junior ROTC members are seen Thursday at the Springfest opening ceremony. / ERIC DOERZBACH/THE DAILY TIMES
Written by Scott Muska, Staff Writer 
from: Salisbury, MD Daily Times
May. 4, 2012
OCEAN CITY -- Father and son retailing duo David and Max Emmons have come from Vermont each year for the past two decades for Springfest weekend.


They keep coming back because it gives them an opportunity to mix business with pleasure.


"We love Ocean City," said David Emmons at about noon Thursday while he and his son sold hanging water gardens from their corner booth in the Inlet parking lot. "Springfest is an excuse to come to the beach, and we're always very successful here, even in bad weather."


After so many trips to the festival, the Emmons men have a pretty adequate feel for how expansive the crowd is on the first day of the four-day annual gathering that just kicked off its 22nd installment. According to Max, they were right on track for what they've grown to expect.


"Another good thing is it always seems to be pretty consistent here, crowdwise," he said.


For local businesses and residents, Springfest marks the semi-official beginning to Ocean City's summer tourism season, and it was founded in 1990 to get people into town before Memorial Day weekend.


Many of the patrons who stroll through the arts and crafts displays and food vendors, of which there are about 180 and more than 30, respectively, come to town for it just about every single year.
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http://www.delmarvanow.com/article/20120504/WCT01/205040303/Springfest-excuse-come-beach-?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|Local News|p