Aftershock attendees expected to spend about $30 million at local businesses
SACRAMENTO -- On Thursday, thousands of hard rock fans flooded Discovery Park in downtown Sacramento for the kickoff of the four-day Aftershock music festival.
The festival has been a big tourism driver over the last seven years, according to Visit Sacramento, and this year is no exception.
"The economic impact is about $30 million. Sixty-five percent of the attendees come from outside of the Sacramento area," said Mike Testa, Visit Sacramento president.
In fact, turnout is expected to be higher now that pandemic restrictions are largely gone -- with fans that are prepared to splurge on spending here even as inflation surges.
"We know we are gonna come down here and spend some money," said concert-goer Alex Perkins.
Perkins and Gina Bachtelle have driven to Aftershock from Sonora for the past three years to see their favorite rock bands. They plan well in advance.
"I do a layaway program, so I pay for the tickets slowly over time. It doesn't really affect me too much month to month," said Perkins.
"It's kind of our yearly thing. We spend all of our entertainment money to come here and do this," said Bachtelle.
Splurging for a four-day pass can prove a costly long weekend when all the others factors outside of tickets are weighed in.
"Normally it would probably be $1,500 to $2,000," said concert-goer Pauline Rogers, who attends Aftershock every year.
Rogers says staying with a friend for the four-day rock fest helped save some money, but the gas to get here from Greenville in Plumas County offered no relief.
"Definitely with the gas, it's crazy. They upped the prices just as we were leaving," said Rogers.
Concert-goer Donovan Farrell agrees.
"I drove six hours to get here. It was definitely expensive to get up here," said Farrell.
Still, hard rock fans say this year it is more of a head-banging "bang" for their buck with pandemic restrictions gone and big acts back on the stage again.
"There's a fourth stage, so it does feel like this year we get a touch more," said Bachtelle.
Visit Sacramento projects the economic impact of the festival is huge -- to the tune of around $30 million.
Aftershock continues through Sunday.
