COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) - Columbia got a $4.5 million boost from its recent Roots 'N Blues BBQ Festival.
A survey conducted by the University of Missouri Department of Hotel and Restaurant Management shows that about 65,000 people attended the festival in early October. The Columbia Daily Tribune reported Saturday that the city council will hear about the survey at its Monday meeting.
Lorah Steiner, executive director of the Columbia Convention and Visitors Bureau, said organizers had predicted 75,000 people would attend.
According to the survey, 35,000 attendees were local residents and 30,000 were visitors. More than 87 percent said they would return next year.
More than 66 percent of out-of-town visitors said they stayed overnight.
---
Information from: Columbia Daily Tribune, www.columbiatribune.com