CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Port Aransas is supposed to quiet down after Labor Day, but this year the island never hit the brakes. The fall “off-season” didn’t show up, and local businesses are celebrating a surge that kept visitors packing the beaches, shops and fishing boats deep into October.
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Labor Day typically marks the end of the summer rush. Not this time. According to Port Aransas Chamber of Commerce CEO Brett Stawar, hotel occupancy tax revenue in October jumped 33 percent. That spike stands out in a year when statewide numbers were flat or even slightly down.
Shops along Alister Street felt the boost. At Winton’s Island Candy, a local favorite for three decades, fall crowds looked a lot like summer. Tourists from across the country filled the store for sweets and for a chance to see Jake, the large western diamondback rattlesnake that has become a quirky Port A attraction even in his stuffed retirement.
Owners Kimberly and Mark Winton said Columbus Day weekend was record breaking, helped by a stacked events calendar that included a kite festival and the wooden boat festival. Mark Winton said this summer was the strongest they have ever had and that visitors simply lingered longer than normal.
The strong season also extended offshore. Deep Sea Headquarters stayed busy with steady fishing activity thanks to calm weather and warm water. Manager Brenda Owens said the conditions kept species in the area that would normally leave by this time of year. She said 36 and 60 hour yellowfin tuna trips have been especially strong.
Tourists like James Wyngaard from Rice Lake, Wisconsin, said the town’s friendliness is what keeps people coming back. He described Port Aransas as welcoming, relaxed and easy to enjoy.
Business owners say the momentum heading into winter suggests Port Aransas is being rediscovered not just as the fishing capital of Texas but as one of the friendliest stops on the Gulf Coast.