Cory C. Frum says it will take more than a new hotel or Boldt Castle to ensure a successful summer tourist season in the North Country.
Frum, president of the Thousand Islands International Tourism Council, is confident new restaurants, businesses and cultural events can also make a difference in the busy summer tourist season.
“With restaurants, businesses and cultural events opening up, tourists will have more reasons to come to the North Country. There will be more things to do,” he said.
Memorial Day weekend traditionally kicks off the summer tourist season.
And during this season, visitors have new places to visit, new places to see, and new things to experience.
New restaurants have opened at Cape Vincent and French Bay Marina, an artisan market opened in Clayton last week, and after years of delay, a historic restaurant in Henderson Harbor is finally opening this summer.
The Clayton Chamber of Commerce is also planning a hot air balloon festival in July.
Last year, tourism operators in the Thousand Islands gave high marks to the 2023 season after weathering several difficult years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Fulham are hoping that success will continue this summer, predicting “slight growth”.
“I’m optimistic about next year,” he said.
The outlook is good, he said — gas prices have fallen recently, inflation and the economy are improving — and it depends on favorable weather up north and how water levels fare on Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River.
But waterfront communities received funding from the state for projects to prevent flooding in 2017 and 2019, he said.
Here’s what’s new for the summer tourist season.
Restaurateur Mike Hazelwood chose Cape Vincent for his latest restaurant, having opened Channel Marker 243 on South Market Street two months ago.
He’s excited to add a full-service restaurant and bar on the Cape to The Wooden Boat Brewery in Clayton and The Boat Tasting Room in Lake Placid, which he already owns.
“Cape Vincent is just beautiful,” he said.
Hazelwood said the restaurant’s name comes from a nautical beacon in front of the building.
Channel Marker 243 is open daily from 11am to 10pm and serves burgers, salads and entrees, with covered outdoor seating available.
The former Terry’s Restaurant, with its brown sandstone facade, underwent “freshening works” before opening in mid-March.
On a sunny spring day, Hazelwood expressed optimism about what the tourist season will bring.
“It’s going to be a good summer,” he said.
This weekend, Sackets Harbor will hold its annual village-wide yard sale on Saturday ahead of the Memorial Day holiday.
From 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., residents will be displaying all kinds of unwanted items in yards across Sackets.
Perhaps the quaint village’s biggest contribution to the North Country summer season is the $4 million redevelopment of its downtown waterfront.
The boat launch and park were closed all last summer.
But Mayor Alex Morgia said Market Square Park has returned this season looking better than ever after being expanded and significantly improved.
The park was raised to avoid past flooding in 2017 and 2019.
Boaters may be the ones most pleased with the improvements, he said, as the number of boat moorings has increased to 16 and a new boat launch makes it easier to get vessels out on the water.
The park’s Sentinel Bandstand also received an upgrade, along with other improvements.
The project was funded by a $3 million provincial grant from the Lake Ontario Resilience and Economic Development Initiative (REDI) program.
In historic Clayton, the Boatyard at French Bay reopened for business on Thursday over Memorial Day weekend, and Flamm said the restaurant and bar opened about a month ago.
1000 Islands Artisans and Delicacies opened last week in the heart of the village’s downtown, with more than 40 vendors showcasing crafts, art, food and more. A Bagelie will also open soon.
Pam Booker modeled the place after a similar business she saw in Florida, and she just wanted to create a place where artists and vendors could show off their talents.
She has 33 years of experience as manager of the village’s Surefin grocery store, and her husband ran a convenience store for three years.
Booker believes the business will be a welcome addition to the thriving village.
The Clayton Chamber of Commerce is moving forward with plans to host a hot air balloon festival at Zenda Farm Preserve the last weekend in July.
It’s been years since the Thousand Islands hosted a balloon festival, and Flamm recalled one being held in Alexandria Bay about 20 years ago.
The chamber plans to announce the event next week.
“Details are still being worked out,” said Tricia Bannister, executive director of the chamber.
For many years, Clayton Island Tours has offered visitors from the North Country sightseeing cruises along the St. Lawrence River into the waters of the U.S. and Canada.
This season, the boat tour company is adding a five-hour tour it’s calling the “Ultimate” cruise, a 25-mile scenic voyage around the islands.
Owner Steve Vollmer had hoped to open Gill House, a historic 200-year-old restaurant in Henderson Harbor, for the past two summers, but problems with the town’s new sewer system caused delays.
Now, Vollmer is all but guaranteeing the restaurant will finally open by the Fourth of July.
He said the property’s expanded septic system will be compatible with the new sewer system.
“We got the green light,” he said.
Vollmer, a Syracuse native who also lives in Henderson part of the time, is still assembling a staff of about 25 people.
Rick Zaborny, a Syracuse restaurant veteran with 35 years of experience, will serve as executive chef.
Built in 1813, the restaurant was once the home of Great Lakes captain John S. Warner. The Gill House closed for the last time in 2015.
