10,000-plus expected! That’s 10,000 or more.
“Competitors will be coming from Washington, Florida, Maryland, Canada and all over the country,” Lientz said.
He said, “Fans from Texas, Washington, New Jersey and other places have already made hotel reservations in Owensboro for that weekend. Those are the die-hard fans.”
Lientz said, “We expect new fans to come from Michigan, Ohio, Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana and other states that border Kentucky. Basically, a three-hour radius around Owensboro.”
Mark Calitri, president of the Owensboro-Daviess County Convention & Visitors Bureau, said, “We will soon launch an aggressive multi-state marketing initiative aimed at selling hotel and convention center packages. We encourage Owensboro residents to invite their friends and family to enjoy this premier event and showcase their hometown.”
Friday After 5 that weekend should see a lot of new faces, he said.
Calitri said since this is a first-year event, “we have conservatively estimated the economic impact at $722,000.”
Visit Owensboro is the official destination marketing organization for Owensboro and Daviess County Kentucky. www.visitowensboro.com Mark Calitri serves as President/CEO.
How this fits into the bigger picture
This is part of the broader tourism strategy led by Mark Calitri and Visit Owensboro—focused on sports, events, bourbon, and driving real economic impact across Owensboro and Daviess County.
👉 See the full strategy and how it all connects:
https://visitowensboro.com/owensboro-tourism-growth-strategy-mark-calitri/