While some beaches across the nation were closed due to COVID-19 concerns for the Fourth of July Weekend, Wilmington-area beaches remained opened. By Friday morning, they were already drawing large crowds.

UNCW senior Gabby Kovalenko arrived at Wrightsville Beach at 9 a.m. and secured the last parking spot in an open lot.

An hour later, vehicles were lined up in front of multiple lots, waiting for an open space. Many lots were at full capacity.

Ready for full coverage of Southeastern North Carolina? Subscribe to the StarNews

Vehicles also parked along the side of the road, some with bright orange parking tickets peeking from their windshields.

By 11:45 a.m., the traffic slowly creeped its way to the beach from the bridge while Kovalenko and her friends sat on a bench outside of Zekes Beans and Bowls eating lunch. They walked there from the beach.

"Once you get a parking spot don't leave until you are ready to go home," Kovalenko said.

The UNCW senior said there was also a large crowd at Wrightsville Beach on Tuesday. Like many, she and her friends took advantage of having Friday off and headed to the beach to enjoy the bright, sunny day.

By mid-afternoon, the traffic had also become heavy at Carolina Beach.

The beach was crowded with families, spaced out from another as much as possible. Many sat underneath umbrellas while others headed out to the water.

High schooler Destiny Moore and her parents were in town visiting family for the week. She sat on one of the many swings overlooking the beach, gliding back and forth.

"Ive kept my distance from everybody," Moore said of her time on the beach.

Behind her, the Carolina Beach Boardwalk was sparse compared to the crowded beach. The line outside of Britts Donuts was only three people deep. Some individuals strolling the boardwalk or sunning themselves in the sand wore masks, while others didnt.

Hilario Pagoada, his wife and young kids made the trip from Fayetteville to enjoy the three-day weekend.

"From what I have seen, everyone is trying to keep their space, even in the water everybody is doing a good job," Pagoada said. "Its been a fun time so far."

Read more:

Crowds flock to Wilmington-area beaches for July 4th weekend - StarNewsOnline.com