HOUGHTON, Mich. (WLUC) – The annual Winter Carnival hosted by Michigan Tech University begins Wednesday, drawing crowds of students and visitors over its four-day run. Local officials anticipate a significant economic benefit for businesses in the Keweenaw region during this period. Brad Barnett, Executive Director of Visit Keweenaw, emphasized the event’s substantial influence on regional commerce.
“Historically, the Winter Carnival ranks among the most impactful economic drivers in this area, if not the top,” Barnett noted. “Its effect persists year after year, regardless of seasonal trends.”
According to Barnett, last year’s event accounted for nearly 5,000 visitor days. With winter travelers spending approximately $400 per trip in the region, the carnival likely contributed over $1.5 million to local enterprises.
“It’s a highly concentrated influx of people,” Barnett explained. “They explore downtown, shop, dine, and stay overnight, which clearly reflects in economic metrics.”
He also highlighted the long-term advantages stemming from media exposure, which helps promote the region for future tourism and investment. In downtown Houghton, City Manager Eric Waara mentioned new additions to this year’s festivities, such as all-night statue-building sessions at the pier.
“We’ve got scheduled overnight events at the pier this time around — a fresh addition,” Waara said. “And thankfully, natural snowfall means we won’t need to import any.”
Viewers can tune in live Wednesday at 5 p.m. on TV6 First Look, followed by coverage at 6 p.m. on TV6 Early News and 7 p.m. on TV6 News Tonight, showcasing the start of the statue-building competition via the TV6 Live page.
— news from Upper Michigan’s Source
— News Original —
Community leaders anticipate economic boost from Winter Carnival-driven business
HOUGHTON, Mich. (WLUC) – Michigan Tech University’s Winter Carnival kicks off Wednesday. n nFrom students to visitors, the area will be packed with people throughout the four-day-long event. And with those crowds comes a boost for businesses. Visit Keweenaw Executive Director Brad Barnett says the impact Winter Carnival has on the area’s economy should not be underestimated. n n“Broadly speaking, Winter Carnival, historically, has been one of the largest, if not the largest, economic event-related drivers in the Keweenaw,” Barnett said. “Year after year, regardless of season.” n nBarnett says last year’s carnival resulted in just under 5,000 visitor days, and in the winter, he says visitors spend around $400 per trip in the Keweenaw. Based off this information, he says last year’s carnival ‘easily’ generated upwards of $1.5 million spent on area businesses. n n“It’s such a concentrated event,” Barnett continued. “So many people come and they experience downtown, they do the shopping, they dine, they lodge, and that really shows up in the numbers.” n nBarnett also says the media coverage the event receives gives the area momentum for future vacations and business. And in downtown Houghton, City Manager Eric Waara says there will be plenty for visitors to check out, including some of the carnival’s statues. n n“We’ve actually got some all-nighters that are scheduled to be happening down on the pier this year, which will be kind of a new feature added,” Waara said. “We’ve certainly got enough snow for that, no trucking it in this year.” n nWe will be live Wednesday on your TV6 First Look at 5 p.m., TV6 Early News at 6 p.m. and TV6 News Tonight at 7 p.m. for the early hours of the all-night statue-building contest. You can join us then on our TV6 Live page.