The Wichita Falls St.Patrick’s Day Downtown Street Festival is expected to bring over $1 million worth of additional tax dollars into the community. According to the Convention and Visitors Bureau of Wichita Falls nearly $1.18 million was brought into the community during last years St. Patrick’s Day Downtown Street Festival weekend.

“That is money that is coming into the community through retail shops, restaurants, it’s those tax dollars that go into that,” said Jeanette Vandonge is the Assistant Director Downtown Wichita Falls Development.

In years past people from Lawton and even the Metroplex have traveled to Wichita Falls for the St. Patrick’s Day Festival. Vandonge said that with each passing year, there are more investments made downtown, and that money is not always from Wichita Falls.

“We’ve had new investors, out of town investors. There are now lots of shops and things opening up so we just want to continue that momentum and create Wichita Falls into what it can be,” said Vandonge.

With more investment into the downtown region, including not just businesses but also residential apartment style housing, Vandonge hopes to create what the city describes as walk-ability.

“You know people come down on a Saturday, go to the Farmers Market and hopefully see people walking around, shopping, and even moving into these buildings. It’s a sense of community that walk-ability creates,” said Vandonge.

As a non-profit, the St. Patrick’s Day Downtown Street Festival is one of the largest fundraisers for Downtown Wichita Falls Development. It helps raise money for more downtown development marketing to finish off projects like the Zales Building Preservation. You can buy your tickets HERE!

– Newschannel 6