NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. -- Old Falls Street is snow-covered and few people were about on Monday, but by mid-May, officials expect big crowds again for the kick-off of tourist season.
"From Memorial Day to Labor Day is the true tourist season, but what we're also seeing is more people coming earlier in May and staying later into September and even October," said Jason Murgia, Old Falls Street general manager.
Murgia says the draw of free festivals and staple events like Free Flicks on Old Falls Street and the Friday Concert Series attracted some of the largest crowds of both tourists and locals in 2015.
"We are constantly seeing an uptick in our numbers; specifically, our local Niagara Falls residents and even Niagara County residents that are continuously coming back," Murgia said.
According to the USA Niagara Development Corporation, visitor numbers in 2015 were up over 150 percent from 2014, and officials are hoping for even more visitors in 2016.
"We're also planning to do a couple of larger events in 2016 that we're just finalizing that we feel that would have a tremendous impact," said Murgia.
There's also a call for more programming and vendors to enhance free entertainment for visitors at Old Falls. Murgia says it could be anything from food to retail.
"Our ultimate goal is to be a year-round destination for Niagara Falls," said Murgia.
If you are interested in becoming a vendor at Old Falls Street, send an email to fallsstreet@gmail.com for more information.