WHITE LAKE — Merchants in Elizabethtown and White Lake are getting excited about the upcoming 41st annual White Lake Water Festival.
Sarah Beyer said she comes every year for bathing suits and T-shirts.
“The Water Festival is the opening of all the businesses and I feel like it means that summer is officially here,” she said. “This is when all the people like to start coming.”
She said she will be working all weekend, but she loves the environment.
“Everybody that comes down here has these vibes that make everybody else around them want to be around them,” she said. “It’s like everybody’s safe haven.”
Store owners in Elizabethtown are getting in gear for the weekend as well.
“It always helps,” said Mike Suggs. He’s the owner of Fisher’s on Broad Street, but lives in White Lake where he’s a town commissioner. “It brings people to town from out of town. It really helps White Lake a lot. It’s a big impact for White Lake. They kind of stay over there a lot.
“It’s a boost for Elizabethtown, just not quite as big. It’s a tremendous impact for White Lake, and it’s good exposure. Dawn Maynard does a good job of promoting it. It’s good to have something Friday afternoon through Sunday evening.”
Maynard leads the Elizabethtown-White Lake Area Chamber of Commerce.
“The Water Festival is what kicks off the lake season, the busy season,” said Ricky Leinwand, owner of Leinwand’s on Broad Street and an Elizabethtown councilman. “Everybody is excited and the weather is great.”
Diane and Roger Spence, of Spence’s Crafts, are getting their shop up and going in preparation for the weekend. Their store is just outside of Elizabethtown on U.S. 701.
“We are looking forward to a good time for one thing,” she said. “We have a lot of people coming down to see us and promote White Lake, and get it going. We have a lot of different customers from out of town coming in.”
Their store offers all seasons of cut outs, with everything from hanging signs to animals, paintings, bows and more.
“We do welcome signs to let people know where you live,” she said, adding that they can customize them with names or addresses.
They make everything they sell in their store, giving visitors and locals alike reason to “Shop Small.”
“We will have more traffic and people coming in,” Roger Spence said. “I just like to see the people. That’s what it is all about down here.”
The main thing for them is getting their family together.
“It’s about bringing the people together and seeing people we haven’t seen in a while,” he said.
“We have a lot of customers that come to White Like Water Festival that come just for that and then they come down to see us,” she said.
“We have a lot of people that come from out of state and even Myrtle Beach, from all over the place,” Roger said.
Mike Suggs said that the weekend’s events will bring in much for both Elizabethtown and White Lake.
Ricky Leinwand says he is ready for the incoming traffic.
Roger Spence has boutique signs for houses and yards, with custom ideas to personalize them.
Goldston’s Beach will be super busy during the events over the weekend.