Sommo Festival extends the Cavendish season for some operators

P.E.I.'s Sommo Festival being presented in mid-September this year has some businesses in Cavendish experimenting with staying open a little later in the tourism season.

Cavendish is a busy spot in July and August, but activity tends to wind down quickly in September. With the Sommo Festival's "two-day celebration of music and food and drink" this coming weekend, however, the wind-down may be a little slower.

Diana Tutty runs Island Artisan Market, which is just wrapping up its first full season of operation in the resort municipality. She canvassed businesses around the Cavendish area about their plans and received a range of answers, so in the end she decided to give staying open a try.

"Where there are people, there are people looking for things to do while they're not at the venue," she said.

Concertgoers aren't big shoppers, Tutty acknowledged, but the Cavendish location of the Island Artisan Market is a prominent one, and she said even if Sommo people don't come in during the weekend, it may be worth being open just to let Islanders know they are there.

"We saw a lot of tourists. We didn't see a lot of locals," she said of the store's first summer season.

"I think a lot of locals try to stay away from Cavendish during the summer sometimes, due to the crowds. This would give them a really great opportunity to take advantage of the shoulder season and maybe come out."

The shop will remain open weekends until Thanksgiving.

Almost all the businesses at Avonlea Village are also staying open until Sept. 15, along with many shops at the Cavendish Boardwalk. The only restaurant known to be staying open is Captain Scott's Fish and Chips.

Some facilities at P.E.I. National Park are also open a bit later this year, with washrooms and change facilities at beaches remaining open until Sept. 30.