TRUCKEE/TAHOE and#8212; Anyone driving to Sacramento and the Bay Area on Friday could see the Lake Tahoe region was in for a big Labor Day weekend, considering the long parade of headlights heading into the basin.

A healthy profusion of visitors made up for summerand#8217;s delayed arrival in the Sierra, some officials said Tuesday, in terms of local businesses and their bottom line.

and#8220;Without a doubt, this was the best Labor Day weekend I have seen in years,and#8221; said David and#8220;Johnny Band#8221; Rutter, owner of Pete N Peterand#8217;s sports bar in Tahoe City. and#8220;I think maybe, since summer got started a month late, a lot of people still wanted to get a trip to Tahoe in.and#8221;

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The heat wave in Californiaand#8217;s central valley likely drove many up to Tahoe looking for a respite and a place to cool down, Rutter added.

and#8220;If the great weather continues, I think weand#8217;ll have a great September,and#8221; he said.

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Monte Webb, owner of Jasonand#8217;s Beachside Grille in Kings Beach, also reported a busy weekend, saying Sunday was the busiest day.

and#8220;It was good, better than last year,and#8221; he said. and#8220;Hopefully, the sun will stay out through September and October.and#8221;

Jennifer Black, a co-owner of Truckee River Taxi, hailed the weekend as a boost for her company, estimating drivers shuttled more than 400 Truckee River rafters over the three-day weekend.

and#8220;It was a really wonderful season, and weand#8217;re grateful for people who wanted to use the service,and#8221; she said. and#8220;Hopefully it will be a longer season next year.and#8221;

Tahoe Adventure Company and#8212; a tour guide company specializing in mountain biking, kayaking and rock climbing and#8212; was busy all weekend long, said office manager Katie Hickey.

and#8220;Our rentals were slammed all weekend,and#8221; said Hickey, adding that the company anticipates to finish strong in September.

It was also busy over at Truckee River Winery.

and#8220;Saturday and Sunday we were pretty steady, with a lot of people playing bocce ball and picnicking outside,and#8221; said Allison King, a sales associate there. and#8220;Chardonnay was big, and our merlots were pretty big too.and#8221;

Many visitors dropped by, King said, to participate in the wineryand#8217;s barrel sampling of its about-to-be-released 2009 Russian River Valley Chardonnay.

On the retail front, Dave Polivy of Tahoe Mountain Sports said his store witnessed a fairly standard weekend.

and#8220;We didnand#8217;t see anything out of the ordinary, but we are pleased with the amount of traffic that came through the store,and#8221; he said.

Don Fyfe, owner of Alpenglow Sports, said the sidewalk sale that has become an annual tradition in Tahoe City was again beneficial this past weekend.

and#8220;It kind of turns into an event, and it worked out fine for us,and#8221; he said.

Fyfe said he was pleasantly surprised by the amount of people that were in town, particularly on Sunday.

and#8220;I heard the concert at Commons Beach (on Sunday afternoon) was one of the most well-attended of the whole year,and#8221; he said.

Fyfe said he has no apprehension about the upcoming shoulder season, saying anyone who operates a business here must become accustomed to negotiating lulls in visitation during spring and fall.

Furthermore, having an online component helps certain retailers add revenue even in the historically slow months of September, October and November, Polivy said.