Two of Perryville’s larger annual events once again delivered a significant economic impact to the city and surrounding area during Mother’s Day weekend, drawing thousands of visitors and generating business for restaurants, hotels, gas stations and retailers.
The annual Bank of Missouri Spring Classic soccer tournament and Perryville Mayfest, both held the same weekend each year, routinely bring tens of thousands of visitors to the community, according to Perry County Economic Development Authority Executive Director Crystal Jones.
Jones said previous visitor data showed that having both events on the same weekend nearly triple the city’s population.
“I know in past years, and I think 2023 was the most recent year that we pulled data, both events — the soccer tournament and Mayfest — draw thousands of people to the community,” Jones said. “So essentially tripling the population of the city of Perryville.”
That influx of visitors creates an immediate benefit for local businesses, with spending spread across multiple sectors.
“If you think about people coming to town from out of town in particular and spending money at our businesses, it’s a huge impact,” Jones said. “If they fill their tank up with gas, or if they go out to lunch, that’s money our local businesses would not have had without these events.”
The timing of the events also allows businesses to prepare.
Because the soccer tournament and Mayfest occur on the same weekend annually, restaurants, stores and other businesses know to increase staffing levels and inventory to meet demand.
“They are held on the same weekend every year,” Jones said. “Businesses can gear up for that. They can add staff. They kind of know what to expect.”
This year’s Mayfest appeared to build on that momentum, with Perryville Chamber of Commerce Director Renee Lottes calling the event one of the largest and most successful in recent memory.
Lottes said organizers saw the biggest craft fair, largest carnival and most food vendors in the festival’s history, with 215 craft vendors participating and expanded activities tied to Perryville’s kickoff celebration of America’s 250th anniversary.
“Everything went very, very well,” Lottes said. “Most beautiful weather we could have ever asked for, biggest craft fair, biggest carnival, most food vendors, we had more activities than we’ve ever had.”
The larger carnival footprint, return of the bed races and strong parade turnout helped draw crowds throughout the weekend, while many food vendors reportedly sold out because of high demand.
Lottes estimated Mayfest typically attracts between 10,000 and 12,000 attendees, although exact crowd counts are difficult because admission is free.
Beyond tourism dollars, Jones said events like Mayfest and the Spring Classic also help keep local spending in Perry County by giving residents entertainment options close to home.
“It’s not always about bringing visitors in from the outside,” Jones said. “Sometimes it’s also about coming up with things to do to keep our people here so local folks can stay home and spend their money locally.”
Jones added that recurring events also serve as quality-of-life amenities that help Perry County attract future residents, workers and visitors.
Combined with tourism assets such as Perryville’s downtown district, wineries, breweries, trails and lakes, large-scale community events help showcase the area and reinforce Perry County as a destination.
“They don’t want to come to a community where nothing goes on,” Jones said. “Having those events on a regular basis is really key to that quality-of-life piece that people look for.”
