Downtown Mobile Cashing In On Crowds

The Mobile Police Department says almost thirty-thousand people braved the cold for tonight's (Thursday) "Order of the Polka Dots" parade and it is great for the local economy, where downtown they are already feeling a boost.

Downtown Mobile is filling up while Mardi Gras celebrations and the Senior Bowl bring the crowds.
"The tourism numbers for January is much bigger than last year. We don't know yet with Mardi Gras it hasn't hit yet, but we feel good, " Said Leon Maisel with the Mobile Bay Convention and Visitors Bureau. With Mardi Gras falling during Senior Bowl this year, Kent Blackinton the General Manager of the Renaissance Riverview Plaza Hotel says they are nearly full.
"It's taken a time that is busy for us and made it very busy. So we're basically all but filled, all 374 of our rooms for a 9 day period this season."
Meantime local business owners are hoping to cash in on the crowds. "I'm ready, I think we have the people to handle it. I'm ready, I want to see what it's like," Said Jeanette Helvaciglu whose family owns Samurai J Sushi on Dauphin Street.

For a full list of scheduled Mardi Gras events click on our Mardi Gras 2008 link at the side of this page.