BOLIVAR PENINSULA, Texas — This weekend, tens of thousands of partiers will descend on the Bolivar Peninsula for Go Topless Weekend.
The annual event has a reputation for having wild and out-of-control crowds.
This year, many businesses on Crystal Beach have decided to close for the weekend, saying it just isn’t worth it. In 2023, more than 200 arrests were made and dozens were hospitalized for various injuries. Luckily, nobody was killed last year, which hasn’t always been the case.
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“I don’t really know what to expect,” Crystal Beach store owner Mike Gilbert said.
The Latitude 29.2 Surf Shop has been open for 25 years and Gilbert bought it in August.
“This will be my first one,” Gilbert said.
Although he’s had a place on the peninsula for years, he’s never actually been there for a Go Topless Weekend but he’s heard the stories from other business owners.
“If it gets wild or we feel the need to control it, we’ll limit the number of people that can come in the shop and if it gets too wild we’ll close down early and shut it down,” Gilbert said.
Across the street from the surf shop is the Tiki Beach Bar and Grill. The restaurant won't be open at all on Saturday. The owner said he lost too much money last year when visitors came in, ran up their tabs, and then left without paying.
The Big Store will close at 1 p.m. on Saturday and will stay closed until Monday morning. It’s the first year it will be closed for Go Topless Weekend. The manager said she’s learned her lesson. The theft and crazy behavior she’s experienced in years past have made the decision to stay closed an easy one. She said when she called deputies for help last year, she was told not to call them again unless there was blood.
Over at Tia Juanita’s restaurant, a few blocks away, the restaurant will be open, but its hours will change. A sign on the door shows it will be closing early while the party at the beach rages on.
Back at the surf shop, Gilbert said he's ready to sell customized Go Topless T-shirts to the partiers who stop by the store. He’s one of the few who will be open this year, not sure what to expect, but ready for the worst.