St. Paddy’s A Boon for the City

File Photo

Fenians Pub manager Damon Hogben said that sales on the day of the Mal's St. Patty's Parade are five-time greater than other heavy traffic days.

by Ward Schaefer
March 19, 2010

The roughly 70,000 visitors who will descend on Jackson this weekend for Mal's St. Paddy's Parade will bring more with them than green clothing and a strong thirst. The parade, now in its 28th year, has an overall economic impact of $6.8 million for the city, according to the Jackson Convention & Visitors Bureau. The crowds that gather downtown for the parade also spend money on hotels and food and other goods, giving many city businesses some of their most lucrative days of the year.

The Roberts Walthall Hotel expects to enjoy a boost in business with the influx of visitors to downtown, General Manager Jimmy Sanders said. This the second year the hotel will be open for the parade, and Sanders said occupancy is already 20 percent above normal. That could increase to 50 percent with walk-in traffic, he said. Sanders also expects bar and restaurant traffic to increase 40 percent, and the hotel is opening the bar at 11 a.m. to accommodate the crowds.

For Fenian's Pub, the parade day is the single most lucrative day of the year, followed closely by the actual St. Patrick's Day holiday, March 17. Damon Hogben, manager of the Irish pub and restaurant, said that sales on the day of the parade are usually five times greater than other heavy-traffic days. Since 2007, Hogben has taken advantage of the increased business by converting the pub's outdoor parking lot into an open-air party area.

"I tell my staff this is the most important week of the year," Hogben said. "In one week we probably make about half as much as we make in a whole month. We have a lot of repeat attendance from people whose first visit is during the parade."

Larry Hollingsworth manages the Hilton Jackson on County Line Road, which lodges and hosts events for the Sweet Potato Queens.

"Through the course of the weekend we'll see close to 3,000 Sweet Potato Queens in and out of the Hilton," Hollingsworth said. "Obviously, the convention center enjoys a large tax incentive when this group is in town. It's a tremendous opportunity to showcase Jackson and the flavor of Jackson."

More than simply bringing sales tax revenue to the city, the parade and its associated events offer the opportunity to market the city to outside visitors. "This community is enjoying and reaping the rewards of all the positive endorsements that the 3,000 ladies--from all over the world-- that are going back talking about how great Jackson is," Hollingsworth said.

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