As tourists pack up their beach chairs and children begin zipping up their backpacks for school, the summer comes to a close. Luckily for downtown Madison business owners, this doesn't mean the end of ringing registers as many had a rewarding summer season and are optimistic about the fall.

With events such as the Sidewalk Sale and Beachcomber Night, both sponsored by the Madison Chamber of Commerce, and an increase in tourism, business owners were able to keep afloat this summer and some were even able to swim.

"I feel as though everybody in town had a better summer than last. We all feel optimistic that we might be six months ahead of the curve and that things are actually getting better. It seems that everybody in town had a good summer season. So, maybe we're back on the other side of it," said Carlene Weiss, owner of Jolie Boutique.

Gretchen Matkin, owner of Maggie's of Madison, agrees, saying, "People took trips, so we had more visitors in town than the year before. I think people are more comfortable with their economics. Maybe they've gotten to a more secure place.

"I've seen much more cash than credit cards. It's not like people are buying huge amounts of things, but they're treating themselves to small things," Matkin continued.

Beachcomber Night, held on Aug. 16, also provided much-needed exposure for businesses.

"Beachcomber Night was very successful-it was for me, and other merchants had said the same thing. It was good to see people just having a good time. They were shopping and browsing. It doesn't always mean a sale, but they got to know you and they got to see your product," said Jill Lufsey, owner of Attitude Plus.

The return of school does have an impact on business, Matkin acknowledged, but the strong summer season should carry over into fall.

"Back-to-school week we're slower, because parents are getting everyone ready to go back, but then it picks right back up as everybody gets organized and gets back into the routine again," said Matkin.

Looking to the future, Weiss is optimistic that the uptick in business and foot traffic will continue.

"The fall leaf season tends to be very good for us, because a lot of people will be driving through, whether they come from New York or anywhere else heading up north," she said.

Joel Levin, co-owner of Lily Juliet, said, "Would I have liked to have done twice as much in sales? Sure. But it was a great beginning."

This is The Source intern Carlin McCarthy's final Main Street Beat column. After a summer at The Source, she returns to her school-year role as the editor of Daniel Hand High School's newspaper, the Hand Print.