Hampton Beach - Summer of 2020
Hampton Beach looks a little different in the midst of a pandemic, but despite social distancing restrictions, event cancellations and limited parking, the crowds keep coming — which is good news for boardwalk businesses that struggled to get going this season amid stay-at-home orders and slow reopenings.
Even new electronic signs leading to Hampton Beach that inform visitors about traffic congestion and the parking situation haven’t kept people away.
“People [have] actually waited two hours … to put their feet in the sand,” said John Nyhan, president of the Hampton Area Chamber of Commerce.
The Fourth of July holiday weekend, perhaps the beach’s biggest test of the season so far, was a mix of good news and bad.
“For the most part, the weekend went well,” Nyhan said. “During the days, folks — mostly families — came down to enjoy the beach and walk along the boulevard. Of all three nights, Saturday was not so good. Lots of fireworks going off everywhere into the early morning. Hampton PD along with both county and state law enforcement did a great job all weekend.”
That mixed bag of chaos and a community coming together has defined the summer so far as the beach and its businesses reopened slowly, with restrictions, and later than usual.
Eats and entertainment
“Since the beginning of the reopening of the beaches, the business community was very understanding with regard to the governor’s approach to do things in phases,” Nyhan said.
He said many restaurants and retail stores used “out of the box” thinking to safely bring in customers, including outdoor dining in places it had never been before.
“It’s been a big hit,” Nyhan said of the new options for outdoor dining. “People love it.”
Other changes have included limiting state parking lots to 50 percent capacity and closing down Ocean Boulevard to vehicular traffic.
“For us to open up Hampton Beach safely, we had to … control capacity, and we had to provide an avenue for social distancing,” Nyhan said. “We did not want to see the beach become flooded with people.”
So far those changes haven’t been all bad, either. Nyhan said the fact that Ocean Boulevard has been closed to vehicular traffic allows pedestrians to walk freely without worrying about stepping off the six feet of sidewalk and into two lanes of bumper-to-bumper traffic.
Businesses like the change too, and restaurants in particular are benefiting, Nyhan said.
“They’re providing an avenue where you can eat peacefully and not have in the background cars and motorcycles and gas fumes,” he said.
Still, it’s not all good news for the Hampton Beach boardwalk. Nyhan said the Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom, which he said typically hosts 1,500 to 2,000 per show, has canceled its whole season.
“That was a major loss for them, not being able to reopen,” Nyhan said.
It’s a loss for other boardwalk businesses too, as people coming to see a concert often grab a bite to eat before the show and maybe a drink after, he said.
“From the entertainment perspective, we’re struggling,” Nyhan said. “But once again [we’ve used] out-of-the-box thinking.”
The beach hosted its first concert of the summer July 1, when the Continentals took the stage — but not the main stage.
“We still have to work out social distancing planning [for main stage entertainment], but we’re using the ‘bump-out’ stage [for now],” Nyhan said. “People came and sat on the beach, did social distancing, did a little dancing.”
He said they’re working out a plan with the Hampton Beach Village District Commission to potentially have main stage entertainment by mid-July.
Community effort
Nyhan said the entire community — businesses and residents — has come together to try to deal with some of the challenges that have come its way. Early in the season, trash along the beach was a big issue, mainly because of staffing issues. The state typically has 35 park employees up and down the Seacoast all summer; as of July 1 there were nine. That, coupled with the fact that the employees now have to clean the public bathrooms every two hours, meant the trash situation quickly got out of hand. But Nyhan said businesses started coming in early in the morning to help pick up trash on the boardwalk and along the beach, and when residents along Ocean Boulevard saw that, they started helping too.
“We have a lot of pride in our beach and the boardwalk,” Nyhan said. “It’s a true public support effort, knowing that this is our beach.”
The Chamber has also partnered with the Hampton Beach Village District Commission to give Hampton residents a discount card to show their appreciation for some of the inconveniences residents are dealing with this summer. Nyhan said residents can head to the Chamber office on the beach, show their ID and get a 20-percent discount at a dozen restaurants.
“We’re working together to survive the summer,” Nyhan said. “It’s different, but we’re working through it. This is our community.”
What’s happening?
Lisa Martineau, co-director of marketing for the Hampton Beach Village District Commission, talked to the Scene about which events are and are not happening at Hampton Beach this summer. “We’re doing our best, [and] we don’t want people to walk away disappointed,” Martineau said. “The world is a little bit different right now, but going forward we hope to return to normalcy.”
Will there be fireworks?
Fireworks are currently postponed until further notice due to the endangered piping plovers who are nesting in the truck entrances to the park. This is how state vehicles enter the beach to load the fireworks. We will make an announcement as soon as we are able to do fireworks — after the birds have hatched and either moved their nests or until they become fledglings.
Will there be live music this summer?
Usually we have live music every night during the summer, but the governor is asking that we don’t congregate in groups of 10 or more. The Continentals [played] July 1 [on the south side of the main stage]. Hopefully [now] we’ll have music for the rest of the summer. … There is a “bump out” that will allow for solos, duos, and three-piece bands, possibly more if they can play in such a small space. … It will allow people to sit in the sand and social distance there. It’s impossible to offer social distancing in front of the stage.
Is Ms. Hampton Beach still happening?
It’s a tradition, so it’s something we’d like to keep going. We don’t know for sure yet, though.
What’s the plan for Monday night movies?
That will start on July 13. It’s a family movie on the beach. They generally start around 8 p.m., but that is subject to change depending on when it gets dark outside.
I have yet to see those massive sand sculptures on social media this summer. When can we expect to view them?
The sand sculpting competition has been postponed for the time being. It’s sad because this is the 20th year, but it’s good because it will be safer for the large crowds we usually see. It will run from Sept. 3 to Sept. 5.
Are there any other events that people should keep an eye out for?
We have an event called Cirque du Hampton Beach planned for Labor Day weekend. It’s mostly acrobatics, but it’s a great event for families.
What will [the Seafood Festival] look like this year?
Unfortunately the Seafood Festival is canceled for this year. We couldn’t figure out a good way to incorporate social distancing and food safety precautions.
2020 beach rules, regulations and tips
The beach is currently open, along with the playground and most shops, restaurants and other businesses on the boardwalk.
Ocean Boulevard is blocked off to vehicles.
Public parking lots are operating at 50 percent capacity.
Parking reservations can be made at the NH State Park parking lot (the one next to the campground just over the bridge from Seabrook). A reservation is required to park there. The cost to park for the day is $15 plus a $1 transaction fee. This will guarantee a parking spot before you arrive, which is not a bad idea. You will be farther away from the shops, but bathrooms are available at this lot, in the pavilion area. Make a reservation at nhstateparks.org/planning/day-use-reservations.
You can download the Hampton Beach mobile parking app to find out where parking is available and how much it costs. The app also has a drop-down menu with a list of restaurants that link to their pages for menus and reservations, plus links to hotels and entertainment.
Parking on side streets is reserved for residents only. Violators will receive a $100 ticket.
Every space in a state or town parking lot is a handicapped parking spot and is available at no cost.
The bathrooms are currently operating at only 50 percent capacity. You are required to wear a face covering or mask in the bathrooms.
Sports tournaments on the beach have been canceled, but pickup games are permitted.
Information provided by the Hampton Beach Village District and the Hampton Area Chamber of Commerce.