KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The 2023 holiday season was one of the busiest for downtown Knoxville, and the retail industry as a whole. A record number of people skated at the Holidays on Ice rink in Market Square and those visitors boosted local businesses, too.
The Holidays on Ice rink was open for regular hours from Nov. 24 through Dec. 20, and for extended hours from Dec. 21 through Jan. 2.
Robyn Wilson, the manager of Holidays on Ice, said it was a record-breaking year with an attendance of nearly 19,000 people as of Jan. 1, beating the previous record set in the 2011/2012 season. She hopes to hit 20,000 total visitors after the final attendance count.
"We've had fantastic weather and the past six or seven seasons, we've had a lot of rain. We've only had one day this year that we actually close from rain, as opposed to six or seven," said Wilson. "So I do think the weather has a lot to do with it actually being open."
She said since the ice rink is located in the middle of Market Square, it benefits businesses in the area by attracting people nearby.
"I do think that, especially the years after COVID, people are just out and about and they're ready to to mingle and have fun. I think even you can see shopping has been more busy than ever," said Wilson.
Michele Hummel, the executive director of the Downtown Knoxville Alliance, said having events and attractions in the downtown area gets people to the area and makes them more likely to shop too, which is important since spending dips at the start of the year.
"It's a way to get people into the spirit, but also to help support our local economy and the businesses we have in the downtown area," said Hummel. "Shopping between Thanksgiving and Christmas is so important for their year and can really help make a year for them. "
She said shopping locally has a more more direct impact on the economy of East Tennessee.
"Around 68% of the money, when you buy at a local business, stays within our economy, our local economy," said Hummel. "And then when you shop at a big box, typically 43% of that money stays within the local economy."
She said keeping local dollars in the area is good for the entire community.
"Local businesses tend to help support other local businesses, and help with job recruitment in in the local economy," said Hummel. "And it also helped develop a sense of our own community. I look at Asheville and, you know, several years ago, they had so many local shops and they helped develop a real good sense of place. And in downtown and in Knoxville, we're developing that with the local businesses. We have their unique gifts and unique opportunities in the downtown area."