BUFFALO, N.Y. — As was expected with the intersection of the NCAA Basketball Tournament, St. Patrick's Day weekend events, and the salubrious weather we've been enjoying, thousands have descended on the Queen City.
They're out walking and exploring parts of Buffalo or they are in the downtown bars and restaurants and maybe going back and forth to the Keybank Center for game sessions. It's kind of like a party atmosphere with people from Western New York and the locales of all eight teams having fun and celebrating.
David Pearson is from Hartford, Connecticut and a big UCONN Huskies fan. He says, "This is great. The whole downtown is vibrant. We've been loving it - walking around this morning and it's been a great experience."
His brother David attended Iowa University but has since moved to Rochester. He is here for his Hawkeyes but notes, "We came here last year - my wife and I - said we gotta keep coming back to Buffalo. There's so much to do - downtown, Delaware Park. It's an amazing town right now."
And there's the Haack family from Iowa City, Iowa. They are obviously Hawkeye fans and drove all the way here to Buffalo with their three sons and their uncle. Allison Haack told us, "The weather is beautiful. We were expecting like really cold weather so it's really nice. It's their first day downtown - we're kinda staying out a little ways - but it's beautiful. We're hoping that after tonight we'll play again Saturday. So we're planning on staying and maybe visiting Niagara Falls tomorrow. Drive up and see it."
Businesses and the Visitors Bureau have to be loving that. And with the second round games on Saturday, and of course more people being in the Old First Ward and downtown this weekend for the parades it is indeed a busy time for Buffalo.
In fact the economic impact from the NCAA Tournament is expected to be about $7.5 million for the bars and restaurants and hotels as well as ridesharing and limos and buses.
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