Some folks made their way to the Bradley Beach Memorial Day Festival to try and make the most of the unofficial kickoff to summer, despite the poor conditions.

Plenty of surfers enjoyed the large waves thanks to the northeast wind, but vendors up and down the promenade -- like Johnnie and Debbie O's funnel cakes and Empanada Guy -- say they've seen better weekends. Still, they found reason to be optimistic.

"You can't control the weather, but you can control what you do," said vendor Clyde Mazza. "So if you're out there trying to do the best, it makes a difference because you win some and you lose some."

The rain managed to hold off for many of the remembrance events and services held earlier in the day throughout the Shore communities.