VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — Oceanfront businesses said they’ve been fortunate to have plenty of customers coming through their doors for the Yuengling Shamrock Marathon weekend.
The 51st Yuengling Shamrock Marathon will be held in Virginia Beach this weekend. Officials say every race for this year’s marathon was sold out.
The annual St. Paddy’s Day tradition features a race distance for each goal: marathon, half marathon, 8K and trials.
A steady line formed outside Calypso Bar and Grill after the 8km race on Saturday, and manager Christine Bonet called it a blessing after the blow to business from COVID-19.
“It definitely has a very positive effect on the staff, it’s a good morale booster. The last couple of years have been a little rough, so it’s been really nice to have so many people in town on a regular basis, she said.
She said that despite the previous setback, her staff is ready to handle the large crowds.
“We’re seeing more and more employees coming out, more people applying for jobs, more people coming in for interviews and showing up for jobs. So it’s been a nice change, we’re seeing a lot of improvement.”
It’s been busy not only for her business, but for others on the oceanfront, including Chix on the Beach. General manager Victoria Kelly said the restaurant has seen many customers at events such as Shamrock weekend and March Madness.
“Everything was really wonderful. A lot of teams come here, especially on weekends; spring break that we’ve just had the last couple of weeks, especially the shamrock weekend this weekend,” she said, “hopefully that just gets the whole team and staff pumped up for a great summer.
City officials also announced road closures during weekend events. For a full list of road closures, CLICK HERE.
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