Bourbon & Beyond, Louder Than Life expected to draw 300,000, boost Louisville economy

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Louisville is bracing for an economic windfall as two of its largest music festivals prepare to kick off at the Kentucky Exposition Center.

Bourbon & Beyond and Louder Than Life are expected to bring in more than 300,000 fans from around the country and beyond, filling hotels, restaurants and businesses near the Expo Center.

At Mirage Mediterranean Restaurant on Preston Highway, just blocks from the festival grounds, longtime employee Terry Leach said the events create a steady stream of new and returning customers.

"It's fun, it's exciting and it's always extra money," Leach said. "We meet people that come continuously ... people from everywhere."

Hotels are also seeing a major surge in bookings, with many at or near 90% capacity. Greg Mann, general manager of the Crowne Plaza Louisville Airport, said the festivals keep business booming for nearly two weeks.

"We really get 12 days out of this: four for the concerts and then the shoulder days," Mann said. "It makes September a wonderful month for us."

Festivalgoers said they keep coming back because of the music, bourbon and atmosphere. Andrea Dyer, who traveled with her family, called the festivals a highlight of the year.

"This is the watermark for festivals for us because it is so well done," she said. "We see fellow concert-goers everywhere. ... It makes it feel like the festival grounds are the whole city."

Some hotels still have vacancies but not without a price. Nearby rooms are going for as much as $599 a night, with some requiring a three-night minimum stay.

Both Bourbon & Beyond and Louder Than Life are set to run over the next two weekends at the Expo Center continuing Louisville's growing reputation as a destination for major music events.

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