Eugene’s busiest summer month saw over 200,000 people attending three major events.
If you've noticed less traffic and people swarming restaurants over the last few days, that’s because the Olympic Trials, the Country Fair and the Bach Festival all came to a close this weekend.
Rain and shine, the Fair still saw over 45,000 people flood through its gates and wander its dirt paths.
The Track Trials saw twice that over its 10 days of events. In fact, the total number of attendees for the Trials outnumbered Eugene’s population by more than 20,000 people.
And while it seems Eugene’s visitors have finally scattered to the winds, the effects they leave behind linger.
Andy Vobora with Travel Lane County says one positive effect is found in room taxes charged by local cities and counties. He says these events helped more than Eugene, as people were staying as far away as Corvallis to attend the events.
“These big events give you a really nice boost in those room taxes, so those communities all benefit seeing the trials held here," says Vobora.
These so-called transient room taxes help boost grants for the area, specifically for Eugene cultural services. In more rural areas, it helps local chambers of commerce.
While many attendees for July’s events planned ahead, there were still some people who didn’t have rooms.
“Even big musical acts that were here in town kind of waited a little too long to find those hotel rooms. While we found some, it didn’t quite meet their needs," says Vobora.
That big musical act was KISS.
Follow Kira Hoffelmeyer on Twitter@kirahoffy
