TYLER, Texas (KETK) – With one of the longest times in Sulfur Springs, thousands of visitors made their way to Hopkins County last week. Due to the volume of traffic, KETK asked the Chamber of Commerce about the economic impact.
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“We only saw about half as many visitors as we expected for the weekend, so of course our businesses prepared for the full crowd,” said Jaci Glenn, social media membership and events coordinator for the Hopkins Chamber of Commerce County.
The Hopkins County Chamber believes the weather may have kept some visitors away. “
For some businesses, things didn’t go as well as they expected for the eclipse weekend,” Glenn said.
The Magic Scoop General Store and ice cream parlor in downtown Sulfur Springs, where most people gathered, had its busiest weekend since it opened eight years ago.
“It was the best Sunday we've ever had and there was a line pretty much all day, on Monday there was a line out the door non-stop from 9 a.m. until about 5:30 p.m.,” said Lara Colby, owner by The Magic Scoop.
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Colby said about 6,000 customers came on the day of the eclipse.
“We went through 24 three-gallon tubs of ice cream on Monday alone,” Colby said.
The Chamber of Commerce said that while the turnout did not meet expectations, they met tourists from nine different countries at their downtown office.
“I think in the long run we're going to see a lot of visitors coming back from this one weekend,” Glenn said.
People from all over the world shared an unforgettable moment in the heart of Sulfur Springs and now people from all over the world know how special East Texas really is.
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