Iowa girls state basketball tournament brings thousands to Des Moines
By Olivia Tyler
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DES MOINES, Iowa (KCCI) — The Iowa Girls High School State Basketball tournament begins in Des Moines on Monday, bringing thousands of visitors and a significant economic impact to the area.
Forty teams across five classes are competing this week, while the metro area anticipates up to 20,000 visitors, according to Catch Des Moines.
Many attendees use this week as a vacation, exploring various parts of Greater Des Moines. Bailee Arnburg, director of sports at Catch Des Moines, said, “They’ll really hit every pocket of Greater Des Moines. Not only in the hotel piece, but also in the restaurants.”
The tournament is expected to generate $750,000 for Central Iowa businesses. Following the boys state wrestling tournament two weeks ago and with the boys state basketball tournament arriving next week, Catch Des Moines anticipates a total impact of $3 million.
Arnburg said, “Even with the weather, the fans always come up, and they show up and they show out for those athletes. So that’s the one of the best things about living in the Midwest, and honestly, in Iowa, people love sports. They love supporting their teams in their schools.”
Visitors will not only be crowding Des Moines but also shopping in West Des Moines, dining in Altoona, and enjoying activities in Ankeny. After the games, some girls might even shop for prom dresses, as Arnburg mentioned, “We hear a lot that the girls come and get their prom dresses when they’re here. So maybe, maybe we’ll see some influx in that as well.”
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