Irene may have cut the power, but that didn’t mean the fun had to end.

Rick’s Tavern, located at 35 County Road, stayed open well into the night using candles for light and a battery-operated radio for entertainment. Flashlights hung over the pool table. Coolers of ice were filled with beer. Rick’s had been open all day and, by the amount of customers trickling in, you’d never know anything was wrong. Except for the dim lighting, perhaps.

Rick's, the unassuming two-room tavern, is always open for business, according to owner Rick Cole. Cole has owned the 80-year-old building for about five years, and says a wide range of age groups stop by.

"This is the place where friends go to meet friends," Cole says. "It's like the show 'Cheers.' We're all locals here."

Rick's also has "the best quahogs in town" and is active in charity events like the Brad Barrows Motorcycle Run and youth athletics fundraisers. Cole added the pinball and jukebox are big attractions too, but on Sunday night, it was all about being together.

Bartender Andrew Berberian said the place was packed even at dusk.

“It’s been steady all day,” he said. “We’re open until 1 a.m. anyway, so we might as well make the most of it!”

As locals chatted away over the sounds of classic oldies drifted from the radio, the pool table was the center of attention. Andrew Strauss was one person enjoying the atmosphere and had been playing pool throughout the night.

“I came here around nightfall,” he said. “It was better than staying home in the dark. This is just a normal thing, you know? It’s fun to just hang out with people you know and watch the storms.”

A highlight of the night was home-cooked meals from Cole's wife, Jean.

“Fortunately I have a gas-powered stove at home,” Jean said. “There were tons of people here at Rick’s too. I’d run down to my house and cook up steaks or chop suey or whatever I could and rush down here to feed everyone.” Jean also passed out raffle tickets to give away shirts, hats, and flasks.

As the night went on, customers talked about the storm and their experiences. The eight-seat bar was stocked with pretzels and peanuts.  Resident John Cornish, who owns Atlantic Boats in Wareham, thought the towns were luckier and more prepared for Irene than for Hurricane Bob, which hit in 1991.

“We hauled a lot more boats this time around out of the water,” Cornish said. “People were more aware of the weather. There was a lot of tree damage this time around too. The storm just went on and on and on. It seemed like it lasted longer than Bob.”

Yet the wind and weather seemed to be of no concern inside Rick’s Tavern. Everyone was just having a good time.

“This is just what you do,” Berberian said. “I guess the storms just bring people together and give them something to talk about.”