WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. — The first pitch of the Little League World Series is days away, bringing people from around the globe to Lycoming County.
"We get anywhere in the neighborhood of about 70,000 unique visitors that come into the Little League World Series over that 11, 12-day period of the whole event," said Jason Fink, CEO of the Williamsport Lycoming Chamber of Commerce.
As we approach the start of the games, businesses in downtown Williamsport are preparing for the rush.
"Make sure we are stocked up with a lot of coffee and make sure we get everyone leaving a coffee and get the word of Alabaster out," said Tymir James at Alabaster Coffee.
"For us as a hotel, it obviously means hotel rooms, but we also participate in other events. We have a pin-trading room here, which is a side event all on its own with Little League," said Kathy Taylor at the Genetti Hotel in Williamsport.
"We see roughly somewhere in the neighborhood of about $35 million to $40 million of revenue to the region, and not just to the local economy," Fink said.
The Genetti Hotel in Williamsport has only a few rooms left for select dates during the tournament. Some rooms have been booked for over a year.
"We have volunteers and folks that have stayed with us for 30, 40 years, and they make their reservations the previous year when they leave," Taylor said.
Alabaster Coffee is excited to welcome the world into the shop.
"Each year is probably one of our greatest times. We get the diversity of everybody coming from different countries, states, and whatnot, just coming in and having community," James said.