BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) – Birmingham is drawing tens of thousands of visitors and tens of millions of dollars this weekend, with major events happening in the city.
INDYCAR, two sold-out events in the same day at the BJCC, and cosmic baseball are making a big impact on the city’s economy.
The BJCC welcomed its 1 millionth fan to the sold-out Protective Stadium.
“Very exciting milestone for everybody. It just shows you really kind of what the stadium means to the community. That’s 1 million fans in those first five years,” said Tad Snider, CEO of the BJCC.
Steps away, Legacy Arena sold out for the New Edition Way Tour with Boyz II Men and Toni Braxton, the number one grossing R&B show in BJCC history.
“It just goes to show you really what all is going on in Birmingham,” Snider said.
Across town at Barber Motorsports Park, the Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix is back for its 15th year, drawing racing fans from across the country.
“Visitor spending is significant for this event,” said David Galbaugh, Vice President of Sports, Sales and Marketing for the Greater Birmingham Convention and Visitors Bureau.
The Greater Birmingham Convention and Visitors Bureau said the race alone is expected to bring in more than $19 million.
“With that kind of impact, I think it just speaks to what tourism means for our economy and what sports tourism means for this destination,” Galbaugh said.
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