Downtown Bangor merchants delivered mixed reports Sunday as to whether their businesses benefited from tens of thousands of people converging on the city during the 65th National Folk Festival.

From a bus stop strategically placed at West Market Square, thousands of people poured onto lower Main and Broad streets during the three-day celebration. From there, the Grasshopper Shop, Rebecca’s Gift Shop and The Whig & Courier Pub beckoned visitors to stop, gaze, shop, and treat themselves to a refreshing drink or snack.

Judy Burrell, co-owner of the Charles Inn at 20 Broad St., site of the former Phenix Inn, said the hotel’s 35 rooms and suites were booked solid for this year and for next year’s folk festival as well. A side business, however, was not doing well, and Burrell and two others peddling gourmet sausages next to the hotel planned to pack up at 6:30 p.m. Saturday and not return on Sunday.

“We only had 20 customers all day,” said one clerk, blaming the poor business on cold weather and a plethora of commercial tents pitched along the sidewalk at West Market Square.

Sarina Speed, assistant manager at the Grasshopper Shop, reported the store was busy all weekend. On Sunday a larger-than-usual crowd browsed store shelves packed with candles, cards and clothes.

Chris Geaghan, owner of The Whig & Courier Pub, said he did about $4,000 worth of business Saturday night. He estimated his sales were “maybe $20 less than last year.” Still, he declared, “that’s pretty darn good.”

The Friday night crowd was smaller than last year at The Whig. By noon Sunday, the pub had many empty tables. Geaghan speculated that weather forecasters’ predictions of storms Friday night may have kept some people away. Yet the weather didn’t affect his total bottom line for the weekend.

“I’ve got no complaints,” Geaghan said Sunday.

Along Main Street, Rick Vigue, owner of Rebecca’s Gift Shop, stood by the lighted entrance to his store as the business day wound to a close. “We’ve had a better day than last year,” Vigue reported. He said the real value for his shop was the exposure of having thousands of festivalgoers see the store windows.

“The visibility we’re getting is priceless,” Vigue said.

He said festival organizers were correct in doing more to include downtown Bangor in its overall plan.

“The waterfront is fabulous, but this is too,” Vigue said.

Other merchants from A Taste Of Ireland furniture store to the Thai Siam restaurant said business had been brisk.

Heather McCarthy, festival coordinator, said planners had “been trying to figure out for a year how to incorporate the downtown” in the folk festival. She said reports of brisk business were “good to hear.”