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Bowl games sandwich New Year’s Eve for profitable week in Orlando

Bowl Week brings in more than $60M per year, according to Florida Citrus Sports

Football (FILE)

ORLANDO, Fla. – Around 40,000 fans are expected to watch Kansas State take on North Carolina State in this year’s Pop-Tarts Bowl.

Crowds started gathering at Camping World Stadium Thursday afternoon ahead of the 5:45 p.m. kickoff. Events like Fan Fest at Tinker Field are all part of the festivities expected to bring a boost to businesses nearby.

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Neil Chrouch, who owns The Lemonade Trap, started setting up for customers in the early afternoon. He expects to sell a couple hundred lemonades on a day like this.

“The weather is kind of crazy today, but we’re hoping to get a good crowd because there is going to be a lot of people here,” Chrouch said.

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Florida Citrus Sports estimates Bowl Week brings in more than $60 million each year, as fans flock to Central Florida to watch four teams in two games.

Mayor Buddy Dyer said it’s a huge economic impact.

“Most people who come down turn this into a family vacation, rather than fly down for the game and fly out,” Dyer said.

The Pop-Tarts Bowl is just the start of a busy weekend in the Orlando area.

On Sunday night, six bars will ring in the new year on Church Street, including High Tides where the iconic orange ball will drop at midnight.

Then on New Year’s Day, the Iowa Hawkeyes will play the Tennessee Volunteers in the 2024 Cheez-It Citrus Bowl. The game will kick off at 1:00 p.m.

You can see which events are celebrating New Year’s Eve around Central Florida by clicking here.


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About the Author
Catherine Silver headshot

Catherine, born and raised in Central Florida, joined News 6 in April 2022.

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