NEWVILLE, Wis. -- Above-normal temperatures brought out the revelers for Saturday's annual "Break in the Weather" party in Newville, but while the party atmosphere was celebratory, the party itself was serious business.

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While the event itself was at Newville's Anchor Inn, the party spreads to other bars and restaurants along the waterfront, businesses that last year were empty following last summer's devastating floods.

Business owners hope Saturday's party is just the start of a complete recovery from some very trying times.

"We need a great summer coming up," proclaimed Anchor Inn owner John Kinnett. "Everybody in the area needs a great summer. Everybody's looking forward to it."

Saturday's "Break in the Weather" party left many with good reasons to feel optimistic.

"All the bikers are out here, all the regulars are out here, all the people that follow the bands are out here," said Bruno Rutherford of Janesville. "This is an event that will never die."

"I was up the road," concurred Kinnett, "and the amount of bikes that came in is just incredible. It was overwhelming to see it."

Like the owners of the Anchor Inn, the proprietors of Fin's Bar and Grill are hopeful that good times lie ahead.

"Today's kind of a big celebration for us," said Sue Hagan, owner of Fin's Bar and Grill. "We're getting back on the horse and really looking forward to a lot of new people, and the people that we knew from last year or the year before."

Last summer, workers at both the Anchor Inn and Fin's Bar and Grill committed themselves to helping the area's flood victims.

Now owners of both businesses are hoping they can make up some of what they lost, not just Saturday, but all spring and summer long.

"It's a wonderful lake," said Hagan of Lake Koshkonong. "People should support the area and come back."

Even with intermittent showers during the event, Saturday's weather was a big improvement over what the party had last year, when it snowed.

Partygoers were not the only ones that flocked to the waterfront in Newville for the "Break in the Weather" event. Rock County law enforcement stepped up patrols in the area, as more than a dozen additional officers visited bars, checked IDs, and looked for people driving under the influence.

"Sheriff Spoden has made it very clear," said Sgt. Jason Harding of the Rock County Sheriff's office, "that he wants the roads to be safe. That's our objective, to make sure the people out here are having a good time, but at the same time, there's a responsibility that they need to undertake as well."

Two years ago, a pedestrian was struck and killed by a drunk driver the night of the party.

Officers said they want to make sure nothing like that happens again.