SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The West Coast's largest rock festival, Aftershock, is back at Discovery Park on Thursday and dozens of businesses are eager for its return.
They’re banking on thousands of fans bringing them big business. That's because organizers said this year’s festival has its biggest lineup ever with eight headliners and the addition of a fifth stage for the first time in its history.
"We're gonna be expecting 40,000 people a day. So, 160,000 fans across the four days from all over the world will be in Sacramento for this year's iteration of aftershock," said Chamie McCurry, general manager of Danny Wimmer Presents.
Businesses surrounding the festival said they're more than ready to welcome the fans.
"Something funny the first year that Aftershock happened a few years ago, we got killed by the number of customers that came to visit for the first time. We didn't know what Aftershock was, so the second year we got ready and we love how it keeps getting bigger and bigger year after year," said Enrikke Valentino, the co-owner of Mezcal Grill in South Natomas.
Mezcal Grill in South Natomas is within walking distance from the festival.
Valentino said the family-owned business now knows to prepare for the influx of customers.
"We get a report of how many new customers came in based on if they pay with a credit card. So, it's anywhere from like 20% to 25%, mainly Friday and Saturday," Valentino said.
Just up the road from Mezcal Grill, the Northgate Boulevard business community also reaps the benefits of the four-day festival.
Algo Bueno co-owner Marco Rodriguez said they wait for it every year.
"Locally, I think everybody kind of loves Northgate and they all love that what we will provide and stuff like that. But now, we're also getting recognition from people outside of Sacramento. So we get a lot of visitors that are traveling that they're staying in hotels here, they flew in, they drove in," Rodriguez said.
And for the first time this year, Algo Bueno is staying open until Midnight on Friday and Saturday.
Rodriguez said the business is not only good for them but for the entire city.
"Obviously, you want to have more business. You want that Aftershock to coincide with your business to and the positive impact, and just have people to want to come and return to Sacramento," Rodriguez said.
Visit Sacramento said Aftershock brings in an estimated $30 million in economic impact, and a large percentage of the attendees are from out of the area with some even coming from out of the country. It's a considerable boost for the community.
At Discovery Park, the gates will open daily at 11 a.m.
Organizers recommend taking at least 10 minutes to make a transportation plan before heading to the festival.
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