PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — The talk of the town this weekend here in Tampa Bay is, of course, Gasparilla.
Hundreds of thousands of people will be here for the pirate invasion!
But on the other side of Tampa Bay, there's a worldwide wrestling event coming to St. Pete!
It's the WWE Royal Rumble.
The match-up is expected to bring thousands of people from all over the world to the Tampa Bay area.
Derek Bernstein is the owner of Ride Em' Cowboy bar in St. Petersburg, and he's getting ready for the big event.
"It kind of takes me back, and that's what we are hoping to bring back here…is it get those people who are in their 30's and 40's and 50's who used to watch it who are like 'what a cool event to have a great time,' so I'm excited," said Bernstein.
It's a weekend Derek Bernstein said he will never forget.
"I grew up watching 90's wrestling and Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair and The Undertaker and The Rock," said Bernstein.
It's expected to be a huge event for St. Pete.
"We are expecting thousands of fans to come to the destination. I know they are already here. I just heard from a couple from Germany," said Brian Lowack with Visit St. Pete-Clearwater.
According to Visit St. Pete-Clearwater, the event is expected to bring in over $70 million to the local economy.
"Folks are coming into town all week, they are staying in our hotels, filling them up, going to our restaurants. We expect a huge impact from that," said Lowack.
Lowack said it's a good way to start off 2024.
"January typically isn't a month that our hotel accommodations are through the roof, so having an event like the WWE Royal Rumble will definitely help fill hotel rooms," said Lowack.
It just so happens to be the same day as Gasparilla.
"For this weekend, it's really all hands on deck, so every officer, their days off have been canceled. We will have security both inside and outside," said St. Pete Police Chief Anthony Holloway.
Chief Holloway said people need to have a plan in place before they go to either Tampa or St. Pete.
"You're talking over 40,000 people coming to the trop for the event…so that means traffic will be affected, not only for the people coming to the event but the people who live in our downtown community, also on our interstates, so people need to plan for that," said Chief Holloway.
Bernstein is excited about the new faces visiting the area.
"For St. Pete bars and St. Pete restaurants who would maybe see a massive amount of people leave St. Pete to go to Tampa, we have a reason to say no, don't hit the Howard Franklin, stay in St. Pete," said Bernstein.
His bar is hosting a WWE costume contest and other activities.
"Im hoping that everyone else who shows up is going to buy into like being at Halloween. Get your voice on, put your makeup on, have a good time, just be silly," said Bernstein.
