CANTON, Ohio — Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Week is just hours away, with tens of thousands of people making their way toward Canton's Hall of Fame Village for all the festivities beginning on Thursday.
"People, every time I see them come, the first words I hear them say is, 'Wow, I didn't realize all of this was here,'" Michael Crawford, president and CEO of Hall of Fame Resort and Entertainment Company, said while pointing to the Ferris wheel behind him.
Hall of Fame Village only continues to expand and enhance their offerings each year, perfect for the over 100,000 visitors that will experience it this week.
"I'm so excited," said visitor Holly Lenox. "I love everything that they're doing."
This year, visitors can look forward to new food options at the village like Pizza Oven and the famous Heggy's Nut Shop.
Crawford was excited to share that the Build-A-Bear Workshop now has an NFL license.
"So you can build a bear or other critters, if you will, with NFL-themed merchandise, which is fantastic," he said.
And in honor of Thursday's Hall of Fame Game between the Houston Texans and the Chicago Bears, there will be a "City Showdown" with designated areas of the village celebrating the cultures of the two cities. Expect everything from Chicago-style hotdogs at the Play-Action Plaza to Texas-style line dancing instruction at the Fan Engagement Zone.
Canton Chamber of Commerce spokeswoman Kelly Piero estimated the economic impact of this year's Enshrinement Week to be "$43 million for Stark County alone and more than $60 million for the state of Ohio."
On Wednesday, Visit Canton Chief Marketing Officer Tonja Marshall reported that hotel occupancy in the city for the four days of Enshrinement Week in 2023 averaged 80.7% occupancy, and "based on hotel reporting to date, hotel occupancy is trending higher in 2024."
"Of the 28 properties we track, 17 are currently reporting no availability," Marshall said. "According to the reported room availability, we are on track to average 84% occupancy during the same time period this year, Wednesday, July 31 through Saturday, August 3."
Looking ahead at some of the major events of Enshrinement Week, the Hall of Fame Game is Thursday, the Enshrinees' Gold Jacket Dinner is on Friday, the Class of 2024 Enshrinement is Saturday and country superstar Carrie Underwood wraps things up with the Concert for Legends at Hall of Fame Stadium Sunday night.