The Great Smoky Mountain Journal
Staff Reports
Posted: Sunday, January 21, 2018 11:23 AM
Sweetwater Businesses Enjoy Great Financial Success Over Eclipse Weekend
On Tuesday, that population went back down to about 6,500.
“You wouldn’t even know we had a festival yesterday,” Sweetwater City recorder Jessica Morgan said.
Sweetwater city leaders planned for about a year-and-a-half for the eclipse, and Morgan said that planning paid off. She also said the visitors were “kind” and “gracious.”
Sweetwater Mayor Doyle Lowe said he’s proud of how his city welcomed the tourists.
“We wanted to show the world, you might say, that we are very hospitable and we want them to come back and see us,” Lowe said.
Sweetwater leaders said they sold about $44,000 in parking and t-shirt sales. The city sold out of t-shirts, but will have a link on its Facebook page for people to order them for fall.
“We had someone offer us $100 for the shirts on our backs yesterday,” Morgan said.
The festival cost the city about $20,000, and after paying out overtime, leaders say they believe they won’t have to use taxpayer money on the event.