The first-ever Treasure Valley Comic Con begins Friday, July 7, at the Nampa Civic Center; and with thousands expected to attend, the City of Nampa could be on the receiving end of an economic boost.
Costumes, comic books, celebrities and more -- the Nampa Civic Center is preparing for huge crowds for the first-ever Treasure Valley Comic Con July 7-9.
"The new hotel right next door is near capacity this weekend, they have minimal vacancies each night -- I talked to them this morning," said Tim Savona, General Manager of the Nampa Civic Center. "Downtown is going to see a natural boom when you have 1-2,000 people here each day, all day."
The three-day event, which took about eight months to plan, is expected to draw up to 6,000 people by the end of the weekend. Organizers say events like this can provide anywhere from a $300-600,000 boost to the City of Nampa.
And if these types of entertainment events continue to set up shop in Nampa, city leaders say the local economy will continue to grow.
"Nampa has got a lot to offer," Savona said. "We've had two brand new hotels open up just within the last six months, and there's one or two more scheduled to start [construction] soon."
The pop culture-centered event will also feature an attractive line-up of celebrity guests, including actor Todd Bridges, perhaps best known for his role as Willis on the hit 70's comedy, "Diff'rent Strokes."
"It's fun talking with the fans," Bridges said. "They talk to you and tell you about things, and they remind you of stuff you'd forgotten about...and then you sign stuff for them. Being a part of anything that can help make the public happy is always fun to do."
Tickets are $22 and can be purchased in advance or at the door.
Click here for a full list of events at Treasure Valley Comic Con.
