Old Orchard Beach has kept their legendary beach closed in hopes that people wouldn't swarm it on nicer days to escape the monotony of home. That's worked for the last few weeks without much issue. But as temperatures get warmer and as a major holiday weekend approaches, OOB wanted to have a plan in place for what to do when more people likely show up.

Old Orchard Beach
Paula Stephens
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According to the WGME, Old Orchard Beach will allow walking access to the beach starting on May 11th. The guidelines detail that social distancing (keeping six feet apart) should still be observed and that there will no loitering or squatting in place allowed.

Memorial Day weekend has traditionally been the "kickoff" to the tourist season in Old Orchard Beach. Campgrounds, hotels and restaurants generally see their first influx of significant tourism during that weekend. But this year, it may actually be Mainers that flock to OOB.

With state parks that have ocean access as well as many other major beaches closed to the public, Old Orchard Beach may become a hotspot for visitors trying to maintain some normalcy during the pandemic. Whether or not that's a good thing is a question that will be answered in just a few weeks.

 

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