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Big Ears Festival brings big bucks to City of Knoxville

The Big Ears Festival is bringing in big crowds this weekend, boosting economy for the city of Knoxville.     

Anywhere from 15,000 to 20,000 people plan to attend the festival over the weekend with only about 30 percent of those people being from Knoxville, according to Ashley Capps, the festival's creative director and CEO of AC Entertainment.
 
"The programming on this one is what brought us or at least brought me," said Douglas Smith, who is visiting from Brooklyn, New York.
      
Smith and his friend Norm Veenstra are just a few of the thousands of people here for big ears, a festival that's also boosting business.
 
"You are probably aiming for $1,500 to $2,000 for a whole weekend to do the whole kit and caboodle," Smith said about his spending for the weekend.
 
"It's a huge boost for the economy when we have these things going on," said Angie Wilson with Visit Knoxville.
 
She said Big Ears has made a big splash in years past.
 
"It brings a lot of attraction to Knoxville so that's a huge benefit, not just the people you see here but the visibility that the city gets based on the festival itself," she added. 
 
Nearby businesses like Suttree's High Gravity Tavern and Pretentious Brewing Co. really feel the buzz.
 
"It's our busiest weekend of the year every year we've been very involved with the festival for the past four years since it came back," said George Talley, the manager at Suttree's. "It's always a great time."
 
Pretentious Brewing Co. even changed their hours to be part of the fun. 
 
"Already the vibe in the city changed, I'm sure you've noticed when you walk around the city but there's a creative influx of people," said manager Johnny Miller. 
 
It's an influx that's making an impact regardless if you are a music lover or not. 

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