Old Lyme comes alive every year with seasonal residents and visitors who love our summer shoreline. It’s always a pleasure to welcome back our friends as well as the more than a dozen businesses that open just for the season!
Black Hall Outfitters has begun its kayak, canoe, and paddleboard rentals, and in-person outfitter sales are back to match its year-round online presence. April 3rd brought Old Lyme Landscape ready to bring a beautiful selection to gardeners and plant lovers. Meanwhile Holland Farms opened its farm stand on Shore Road May 13th, and is excited to showcase an expanded inventory of plants, baked goods and local produce.
Noting the great weather in April, Kokomo’s opened early for the season and introduced a new Caribbean-influenced menu. Other great outdoor dining options returned with the Hangry Goose and Old Lyme Inn both opening their patios, and Café Flo opening on May 2nd (Café Flo’s expanded menu now includes flatbreads and charcuterie plates). The Pavilion has been offering weekend music through May with live music on the beach returning Memorial Day weekend.
What’s lunch or dinner without a little sweet treat? Ice cream season launched first with the seasonal opening of the Old Lyme Ice Cream Shoppe, a family favorite on Lyme Street. On May 22nd, welcome new owner and Old Lyme resident Julia as she and her friendly staff serve up ice cream and grill items at Hallmark Drive-In.
Although the Sound View area starts to come alive in April, Memorial Day Weekend is when the season is fully “open for business” for beachgoers looking for a summer treat. Since 1948, many have considered the start of the season to be when The Carousel Shop opens on the holiday weekend. The Carousel Shop sells beach gear and ice cream while families can enjoy the longtime tradition of taking their little ones to the 1925 Allen Hershell horse carousel for an evening ride. Ready to count your tickets? Kids and adults alike love saving up their prize tickets after an evening of arcade games at Captain Video Arcade, which opens for the season May 26th. Beachgoers and locals will find delicious treats available beginning the Memorial Day weekend, including
Crepes on the Corner, the Surface Shack and Vecchitto’s Italian Ice (which has been cooling off visitors with their great flavors for over 70 years). You’ll find another multi-generational business, Garvin’s Store in the Hawk’s Nest Beach community, also opening Memorial Day weekend.
Sound View business parking is available on Hartford Avenue (metered hourly parking from 9am to 6pm, free evenings). Those Old Lyme taxpayers with a parking pass will find their pass covers street and town lot parking as long as the hanging parking pass is visible in the windshield. For those using metered town lot or street parking, save time by downloading the Passport Parking app ahead of time. Those who wish to pay for parking with cash are encouraged to use one of the private lots on streets parallel to Hartford Avenue.