Watch CBS News

St. Paul preparing for massive month in sports and entertainment

The capital city of St. Paul is preparing for a massive month. 

As the Minnesota State Hockey Tournament comes to a close Saturday, Joe Spencer of the St. Paul Downtown Alliance said it's just the start of what he expects to be a busy month of events.

Spencer said the city could see nearly one million visitors in the month of March alone.

"We've got 67 concerts, 35 sporting events, 32 comedy shows, and two Broadway shows plus St. Patrick's Day, which of course is always a bonanza in downtown," he said.

Spencer said. "It really is a shot in the arm to kind of get out of the winter doldrums and hit March at a dead sprint," Spencer said.

March is typically one of the slowest months for hospitality — and this year's surge could be a boon for bars, restaurants and hotels.

"If you look at the bar/restaurant industry, for example, March is not a good time, generally speaking, but for us, this is our big boost, and from here, we really roll," Spencer said.

Spencer estimated the visitors could bring in tens of millions of dollars in economic impact.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue