NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Essence Festival organizers in New Orleans say this year's event had a record-breaking economic impact on the city.
Essence Communications CEO Michelle Ebanks announced Wednesday that growth in festival attendance, which reached more than 510,000 this year, sparked a $280 million impact on New Orleans and the state. That's the highest fiscal input in the event's 24-year history.
Ebanks says the four-day festival has emerged as the leader in size and economic significance among the country's largest live events and is a top destination for tourism during the Fourth of July weekend.
Mayor LaToya Cantrell says the 2018 festival generated "tremendous economic activity for the city — money that went to our large and small businesses."
By Chevel Johnson
