There were definitely larger crowds this weekend at area beaches and so many people having a good time. Families from near and far are excited to get out again now that more people are vaccinated.
“I can spend time with my family and have fun,” said Maribel Palma.
There were large crowds at area beaches throughout the area, including at Daytona Beach in Volusia County.
“They’re enjoying it they’re about to go to the splash pad, so they’re excited about that,” said Angie Rivera, who visited with her family from Apopka.
The crowds on Sunday brought some sense of normalcy and relief. You may recall this time last year where many beaches were socially distant and the pre-summer crowds were a whole lot smaller.
“It feels a little normal now,” Edgar Rivera said. “Doesn’t feel like we need to be cooped up in the house and it’s actually nice to come out and see other people.”
Jimmy Deary was visiting with his family from Austin, Texas.
“First time to Daytona beach and we are really enjoying it,” he said. “Kids are enjoying it and it’s exciting.”
Despite his good time at the beach, Deary said he was still taking precautions.
“We’re still being safe,” he said. “We had masks on by string out of the water. In the water, we took off the mask.”
It was also a busy holiday weekend at Orlando International Airport, where leaders said the number of departures this holiday weekend are close to pre-pandemic levels, including more than 64,000 passengers estimated to leave on Memorial Day.
In Brevard County, leaders there also expect more beachgoers and bikers this weekend because of a large bike rally that began there Friday.
In Daytona beach, it’s also worth a note that the bridge leading to the beach was closed for hours on Saturday because of the large crowds.