ArtPrize: Businesses gear up for first official weekend | News

GRAND RAPIDS (WZZM)- Many downtown businesses are gearing up for the first weekend of ArtPrize.

If you don't like crowds, then you're going to want to avoid heading into the three square miles designated as ArtPrize territory.

Experience Grand Rapids says it hopes to see more people filling up the streets, restaurants, stores this weekend. It says downtown hotels are pretty much at capacity, especially since business convention planners are choosing to come to Grand Rapids because of the sense of excitement and creativity that surrounds their events.

Artprize is also transforming a typical weekday. Experience Grand Rapids says families and groups are becoming a common sight day and night. That's good news for local commerce.

Janet Korn, Vice President of Marketing Experience Grand Rapids says, "Last year we did an economic impact study and it told us there was a $15.4 million dollar economic impact just during the ArtPrize event."

Korn adds that the increase of traffic is prompting more restaurants that aren't normally open on Sundays, open on Sunday to just keep up with the demand.

Since the nature of ArtPrize gets people moving around our downtown, moving throughout the westside north of the river, all around, it naturally has potential of having long term economic benefits not just during ArtPrize but all through the rest of the year too.

For example, if you stop into a store or restaurant you've never been to until visiting ArtPrize and it's a good experience, there's a good likelihood you'll drop back in after.