12 hours ago
New Jersey businesses hope Barefoot Country Music Festival sets the tone for a slow start to summer
On Wildwood's boardwalk, Crazy J is doing anything he can to attract customers at The Balloon Pop, a small business near the Convention Center.
"It has been different, it's actually been a lot slower than usual," he said. "I really believe this year is down 50%, honestly."
J says Mother Nature bears the brunt of the blame for what he called a slower-than-usual start to the season.
According to CBS Philadelphia's NEXT Weather team, since the beginning of May, there have only been two weekends without rain down the Shore.
"It is definitely impacting business because when it's raining and it's cold out and it's wet, nobody really wants to be out here," J said.
The Greater Wildwood Chamber of Commerce also tells CBS News Philadelphia that hotel vacancies are up significantly from this time last year. Many business owners are hoping country music can change that.
"This is the biggest event we have all year long and it really kicks off our summer," said Ben Rose, the director of marketing and public relations for the Greater Wildwood Tourism Improvement and Development Authority.
The Barefoot Country Music Festival kicks off Thursday. The stages were being set in the sand Wednesday for big-name performers like Rascal Flatts, Jason Aldean, Lainey Wilson, and Jelly Roll. This will mark the festival's fifth year in Wildwood, and organizers signed a new contract to keep the event in the same spot through 2030.
"The great thing is we had to beg them to come play this and talk them into it, and now they call us and they want to come and play this because the crowds have been so great," said Bob Durkin, co-founder of Barefoot Country Music Festival.
Officials said the festival draws about 40,000 people daily and pumps about $34 million into the economy. Many businesses hope the festival sets the tone for the rest of the season.
"I think a lot more people will come out and I think a lot more people enjoy themselves," J said.
"We're introducing a lot of new people to the Wildwoods for the first time, and hopefully they like what they see, and they'll come back as visitors," Rose said.
Barefoot runs Thursday through Sunday, with Jelly Roll set to perform the last night of the festival.
