ELYSBURG —Thousands of people took advantage of the mild weather to visit Knoebels Amusement Resort on Labor Day, as the "unofficial" end of summer and family vacations capped an "OK" season, according to a park official.

"The season could have been better," said Joe Muscato, a park spokesman. "We didn't have the weather we wanted to have. It rained a lot, which put a damper on some crowds."

Attendance figures are projected to be on a par with or better than last year, Muscato said.

"More than 1.3 million visits," he added. "Spending by those 1.3 million people probably won't equal last year's spending. It was the economy. People are cautious. Between the weather and that, it wasn't what we might have hoped for."

Muscato declined to disclose revenue figures.

Martin and Laura Cooke, of Sunbury, are frequent park visitors, and both said it was the economy that was keeping them close to home.

"Normally, we'll go to Hersheypark or to New Jersey on holiday weekends, but this year we're enjoying this park, with no entrance fee," Martin Cooke said, laughing. "We normally come here once a year. This year, I'd say we were here four, five times."

Other frequent visitors, Riverside resident Heather Clark, her husband, and two sons, Zac, 6, and Nate, 5, were spending the day at Knoebels.

"We were here on Sunday as well," she said, watching her sons on the Balloon Race ride. "It's so convenient for us to bring the boys here. It's a nice day. And we had ride tickets left over from Sunday."

Robert Cooper, of Danville, hadn't been to the park in many years, but was thrilled to find that it was just as memorable now, bringing his three children with him, as when his parents brought him and his brothers to the park 15 years ago. "It's bigger. The rides are wilder, and my kids love this," he said, as they swung around on the Merry Mixer.

Cooper loved the improvements in the park.

"What a beautiful setting," he said. "I'll be back on one of their weekends in the fall. And next year, definitely."

After Labor Day, Knoebels reverts to a weekend schedule through Halloween.

For more information, call 1-(800)-487-4386 or go to the park's Web site, www.knoebels.com.