Sales of Passes, Attendance at Waveny Pool Hit 3-Year High

Passes sold for Waveny Pool, overall attendance and revenues all ticked up to three-year highs in the season just ended, officials said last week.

Total attendance reached 40,059 during the Memorial-Day-to-Labor-Day season, including a record-high 7,644 nonresident visits, according to data presented to the Parks & Recreation Commission during its regular meeting.

“We had a very good season,” Recreation Director Steve Benko told the Commission during the Sept. 11 meeting at Town Hall. 

“The weather cooperated,” he added. “We had a couple of weekends with a little bit of rain, but it was a very good season.”

Here’s a snapshot of attendance going back to 2014:

Waveny Pool Attendance

	Residents	Non-residents	Guests	Total
2019	28,565	7,644	3,850	40,059
2018	27,655	6,669	3,677	38,001
2017	26,428	4,678	3,755	30,183
2016	38,867	6,029	5,245	50,141
2015	32,148	5,671	3,820	43,199
2014	45,438	N/A	5,666	51,004

Source: New Canaan Recreation Department

 

Owned and operated by the town with costs offset by sales of passes to local and area residents, the self-sustaining Waveny Pool long has been one envy of neighboring Darien and is widely seen as one of New Canaan’s most successful endeavors. Up to 100 nonresident family passes are sold through a lottery system prior to the start of each season. Facing high demand, town officials have steadily upped the cost of those passes, most recently to $1,225, compared to cost for local families of $455.

Here’s a look at total passes sold:

Waveny Pool Pass Sales

	Daily Ltd Use	Individual	Family	Family Non-Res	Nanny	Sr's	Total
2008	87	187	851	0	138	172	1,435
2009	92	171	682	0	91	149	1,185
2010	94	150	696	0	87	151	1,178
2011	105	146	714	0	108	150	1,223
2012	122	138	721	0	114	151	1,246
2013	108	119	730	100	112	144	1,313
2014	131	90	659	100	100	135	1,215
2015	18	84	660	100	88	141	1,091
2016	16	102	738	100	99	161	1,216
2017	7	89	702	100	84	171	1,153
2018	N/A	201	605	120	75	168	1,169
2019	N/A	181	627	120	73	174	1,175

Source: Recreation Department