By Mike Ricketts, Times-Mail
miker@tmnews.co
Local event organizers remain optimistic that a recession, high unemployment and low consumer confidence won't deter people from getting out and about and letting loose of some of their money this summer.
Citing a huge success at last Saturday's car show at Thornton Park, Bedford Recreation Director Gary Dorsett said the parks are doing well.
"People are still getting out," Dorsett said. "They are thinking like you and me that it is what it is, and we're going to have to survive and we might as well get out and do things."
While the car show was free to attend, there was an entry fee for car owners, and the parks department had a concession stand set up.
There were 96 cars registered in the event and the concession stand was busy to the point of recruiting help as the event was happening, Dorsett said.
In addition to this being the largest crowd in the three years that the car show has been staged, other area entertainment venues buzzed as well.
At Brownstown Speedway Saturday night, race fans flocked to the track in the same numbers as they have in the past.
"Pretty much, (our crowds are) on average - give or take a couple of hundred people - to be what they were in the past," Tim Keithley said.
He added that the number of race cars showing up in the past has remained, with 40 to 45 racers in the modified and super stock classes.
At Spring Mill State Park, things are better than they have been in non-recession years.
"Right now, total revenue is up about 15 percent for the park," Young said.
He credits the increase to people staying closer to home to save a few bucks. He added season passes are up about 122 from last year.
"That's an indicator that more people are thinking about closer to home," Young added. "They are saying, 'Hey, why don't we buy a pass and just stay closer to home and make more trips to Spring Mill."
Some might argue the perfect weather last weekend contributed to the number of people out and about.
Dorsett doesn't think so, pointing toward the fact there were so many events in Bedford competiting for people last weekend.
And Young thinks the early indication could equate to a great summer for the popular state park, east of Mitchell.
"From a tourism perspective, we are going to have a great year," he said.