Donald Trump's Wildwood rally ushers in an economic boom to the boardwalk – CBS Philly
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/ CBS Philadelphia
WILDWOOD, NJ (CBS) – Despite all the people wearing jackets and sweatshirts, the crowded boardwalk in Wildwood looked more like a Saturday in the Summer.
“Memorial weekend came early I would say, so we love it. It’s wonderful,” said Isabel Betancourt, who attended the rally.
“I almost couldn’t get here because the traffic was so thick walking from North Wildwood to here,” Denise Keegan, from National Park, N.J., said.
People who didn’t have tickets to the rally tried to sneak a peak of Donald Trump through fences set up on the boardwalk.
Crowds also piled into Capt’n Jack’s. The bar and restaurant’s beachfront balcony overlooks the stage where Trump was speaking.
“This is like Fourth of July, Labor Day weekend, and Memorial Day weekend all packed into one,” said owner Sean Dougherty.
According to Dougherty, a normal Saturday in May is usually slow, and he closes early, but the influx of people was a welcomed boom to his bottom line.
“This is such a boost to start paying bills, paying my Cisco bill, my food my liquor bills. This was a big big help,” Dougherty said.
The same can be said at the Salty Anchor. The cooler-than-normal weather brought many people through the door.
“Yesterday was very windy too, so everyone gets sweatshirts, sweatpants, and stuff like that,” said Asser Ahmed.
The mayor of Wildwood said he will have an official number in a few days but expects the economic impact to be well into the millions.
Businesses are now hoping for good weather on Memorial Day weekend, which is two weeks away.
Ryan Hughes joined CBS News Philadelphia in June 2022. He previously worked at WPTV in West Palm Beach, Florida, where he’s covered stories ranging from weeks on the Surfside condo collapse, to the impact of Hurricane Dorian in the Bahamas, and the Super Bowl in Miami.
First published on May 11, 2024 / 11:39 PM EDT
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©2024 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.