SPOKANE — Downtown Spokane prepares to welcome more than 70,000 visitors this weekend as the annual Lilac Parade returns, bringing with it one of the busiest days of the year for local businesses.
The parade and accompanying festival events are expected to generate more than $2 million for the city, according to the Downtown Spokane Partnership.
For restaurants along the parade route, the influx of visitors represents a significant business opportunity. Travis Dickinson, chef at Cochinito, said the restaurant sets up patio tables early for parade-goers.
“I think it’s great because it just adds a little bit of visibility. It adds some excitement, you know, makes it look like things are going on,” Dickinson said. “We’ve got our patio tables set up out front. People start camping out on those early and we just sort of let them have them enjoy. And you know, we get rolling here right about 11:00.”
However, this year brings a notable change. The parade route has been reduced by approximately 50 percent as the city works to cut costs associated with security and cleanup, which the city funds.
The shortened route means several blocks of businesses will not experience their usual parade day foot traffic. Elisabeth Hooker from the Downtown Spokane Partnership acknowledged the challenge of concentrating more people into a smaller area.
“You know, the DSP wants to make sure that we get all of downtown is supported and loved, and the former parade route did a great job of getting people a little beyond their comfort zone,” Hooker said. “We know that’s a lot of people to back to back into a smaller space. So we’ll just be seeing how it plays out this year.”
Despite the route changes, organizers emphasize that the parade offers opportunities for visitors to discover new businesses. Hooker noted that many attendees set up chairs in areas they might not typically visit when downtown.
“You know, we see a lot of people that come downtown on parade day, and maybe they’re setting up their chairs on a corner that they might not usually go to when they come downtown,” Hooker said. “And it’s a great opportunity to explore something new and then come back downtown and check out that new business that you might not have seen before.”
The weekend extends beyond just the parade. Additional events including the Lilac Festival Brew Fest, a marketplace and a car show which begins 9 a.m. Saturday.
“There’s a marketplace and a car show, which is just a wonderful opportunity to come downtown all day long, enjoy our local restaurants, explore a new boutique, and take advantage of all the community that being the Lilac City has to offer,” Hooker said.
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