Business is back to usual on River Street, a far cry from the crowds that packed the area this past weekend for Saint Patrick's Day. It's a welcome respite for Huey's waitress Sharon Love.
“It was really busy, way busier than last year because it fell on a weekend,” says Love.
Which is great for love and many other businesses along River Street.
“It was a little bit of craziness like every year but it was pretty good,” adds Love.
Kenny Hill with the Riverfront Association says crowds are estimated to have topped half a million.
“We've heard the aerial photos show that they looked like 1998 crowds on Saint Patrick's Day. That is fantastic.”
Hill credits part of this year's success to it being the first year in quite awhile wristbands were not needed in order to party.
“You see ambient crowds, crowds that are more likely to visit other parts of Bay Street and Congress and Broughton and then find their way down here as supposed to funneling into the gates and having to deal with that.”
Happy with the larger crowds hill says it will force those involved to plan a little differently for next year.
“You have to revisit your logistics, load in and load out making sure that its pleasant for everyone as much as it can be. Sanitation and cleaning our crews and the city crews did a phenomenal job but it’s hard to keep up with crowd.”
But there is no rest for the weary... hill says planning for next years celebration began... yesterday.
‘We were packing up boxes going you know what, next year why don't we ... and it already starts,” says a smiling Hill.
One of the things Hill hopes to improve upon next year is more recycling ... they did recycle this year and have in the past but he says more can be done.
Email
Facebook
Google
Twitter
Favorites
More
Advertisement