Downtown Springfield's Busy Weekends Bring in Tourist Dollars

Some large summer events have drown crowds back to Downtown Springfield, as a recent MassLive article recounts. A recent Ironman Triathlon brought 1,400 competitors and two to three times that many spectators. Many of them stayed locally and lots of them ate locally. A June 3 Pride Parade drew big crowds, as did recent shows by Bruno Mars and Tina Fey and Amy Poehler.Upcoming events, such as Hooplandia at the Big E and a Lego Fan Expo at the Mass Mutual Center in August, are also expected to draw large crowds downtown.How much of an economic impact do these events have and how is it measured? The Visitors and Convention Bureau estimates impacts by gathering data from hotels, bars and restaurants and also analyzes cellphone data to figure it out. The estimate for Ironman is $3-$7 million and Hooplandia is expected to bring in around $5 million.Both of those events are happening for the first time and organizers hope they will both become annual events. If so, they will demonstrate to others that Springfield can handle the crowds and provide entertainment and food for those who come. 

Read More

Movie Being Shot in Downtown Springfield

A complex crime thriller about the father of a kidnapped child searching for his son is shooting in Downtown Springfield.The movie will be called "Barron's Cove" and will star Stephen Lang and Brittany Snow, who have been visiting local restaurants when the cameras aren't rolling.Read the whole article on MassLive, including a video snippet of the filming process.It's been a while since a Hollywood movie was shot in Springfield - "The Reincarnation of Peter Proud", released in 1975 is the most well-known movie with local footage.Other local towns have been the site for big films, such as "Cider House Rules" (around the Berkshires), "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf" (Smith College and Northampton), "The Judge" (Shelburne and Sunderland), and "Malice" (Smith College, Amherst and Holyoke),

Read More

Springfield restaurants get $2 million in ARPA money

Seventeen Springfield restaurants are to receive a total of $2 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds for outdoor dining expansion, according to an article on MassLive.The grantees are:

  • City Line Café - $250,000
  • Student Prince Restaurant & The Fort - $179,450
  • John Boyle O’Reilly Club - $250,000
  • White Lion Brewing Company - $250,000
  • Hot Table - $195,000
  • Nadim’s Downtown - $100,000
  • Springfield Business Improvement District - $35,000
  • Granny’s Baking Table - $46,160
  • Osteria -$75,000
  • Theodores - $65,000
  • UNO Pizzeria and Grill - $100,000
  • Hilton Garden Inn - $75,000
  • Nathan Bills Bar and Restaurant - $75,000
  • The Mamou - $53,332
  • Loophole Brewing - $100,000
  • 2 Guys Pizza - $75,000
  • 1441 Main Street - $75,000
Read More