A little rain didn’t stop thousands of people from enjoying the holiday weekend on Savannah’s River Street.
Along with the monthly First Friday and Saturday events, the Savannah Riverfront also hosted the annual Fourth of July Festival, with festivities running through tonight.
The four-day festival included dozens of vendors selling food and drinks, along with original art and handmade jewelry.
Vendors and businesses along River Street saw an increase in crowds throughout the weekend.
“We’ve had a lot of lookers. People tend to buy things later in the day after they cool down and have dinner. That’s been the trend so far,” said second-time vendor Debra Farley of The Charming Cherub.
Farley makes jewelry from vintage pieces, broken china and even postcards, but being able to take in the sights of Savannah can be difficult when you’re here to work.
She said after her experience selling on River Street, she and her husband are planning a trip back so they can see the city.
“This town just makes you feel it. It just has that old electric feeling,” Farley said.
“It’s hard to see the city when we’re working. I would love to, but we don’t get a chance. We will come back, though.”
In town for the day from Columbia, S.C., M.J. Burchett and her mother, Tammy Browning, came to Savannah to reconnect with family they hadn’t seen in almost 20 years.
“We picked Savannah because it was a halfway point for us all to meet and there was stuff to do. River Street was the place to go to get something good to eat and catch up,” Burchett said. “We’re just soaking it in and checking out what’s here. People-watching on River Street is my favorite thing, for sure.”
The increase in crowds kept business booming from River Street Sweets to Kevin Barry’s Pub.
Chris Myers, general manager at River Street Sweets, said that compared to past Fourth of July weekends, business had been better due to the weather and extra events hosted by the Savannah Waterfront Association.
“It wasn’t as great earlier in the week, but it’s come around this weekend. Any time First Saturday coincides with a holiday, it’s a shot in the arm for everyone,” Myers said.
Shayna Stancil, a bartender at Kevin Barry’s Pub, said this year has been the best Fourth of July on record.
“It’s been considerably busier than last year and the previous year,” Stancil said. “At one point, we were busier than we are on St. Patrick’s Day.”
By midday Saturday, more than 1,000 people had walked through the door at the River Street Visitor Information Center.
“People want to know about the tours, but mainly, they want to come in to use the bathroom,” said Harolyn Sullivan, a First Impression Specialist at the center. “Just like St. Patrick’s Day, it gets busier every year.”