Holiday foot traffic helps some downtown Wilmington businesses

Thousands of people flocked to downtown Wilmington Saturday for the Independence Day fireworks. That included the many tourists who were in town for the holiday weekend. All the foot traffic downtown translated into dollars for businesses.

Bottega Art and Wine saw an increase in sales over the weekend, but the store did not top its sales from last year. It’s owner said it is a sign of the times. “You always blame it on the economy. People don’t have the money to go out as much. They are probably just staying home in their backyards, so I definitely think it has to do with the economy,” said Sandy Perotto.

The Cape Fear Convention and Visitor’s Bureau said the Fourth of July is typically the busiest time for road travel and also the busiest time for our coast.