SACRAMENTO, Calif. — From St. Patrick's Day celebrations to March Madness craze, Sacramento is the place to be this weekend.
The Golden 1 Center finally hosted March Madness after being canceled by COVID a few years ago.
Fans were decked out in gear to represent their favorite college basketball teams Saturday.
It's not only a chance for locals to experience the games in the big court, but also a boost for local businesses from DOCO to K street.
"We've got a lot of people from out of town so it does bring a lot of money into the economy that's much needed for our city," said Johnny Dupree, General Manager or Darling Aviary. "We spent it on this beautiful arena and it's good to see people out on the streets again as well."
Restaurant and bar Darling Aviary on K Street is hosting folks coming to downtown for a slew of festivities. The business has a rooftop view just down the street from the Golden 1 Center.
"It's nice to see everything going back into normality as well," said Dupree.
Other nearby businesses also feeling the boost, like restaurant and lounge Tiger.
"When things are happening at the arena, it definitely impacts us positively," said Tony Christ, Partner of Tiger. "People are in good spirits down here, trying to have fun."
About a mile away, people had fun at Sac Comic-Con, hosted at the SAFE Credit Union Convention Center.
Comic book and collectible enthusiasts came out for a weekend of fun and meet and greets with artists and voice actors like Bill Farmer, the voice of Goofy.
Visit Sacramento says all the events in Sacramento this weekend should bring in an estimated $10 million or more into the local economy.
"A huge impact of visitors coming into the area that have filled hotel rooms and spent money on local businesses," said Mike Testa, President/CEO of Visit Sacramento. "So it's a great weekend from an economic standpoint."
