Our Nightlife Activity Index--composed of 23 nightlife districts around the U.S.--shows that folks were quite into celebrating St. Patrick’s Day. Visits to districts included in our index increased +10% this past Saturday (3/16/23) and Sunday (3/17/23) versus the comparable period a year ago. This includes a deep drop for Miami’s South Beach, which we suspect is due to the destination’s efforts to keep college spring breakers away (including a recent curfew). The largest absolute increases, with strong double-digit percent gains, were Chicago’s Fulton Market, Long Beach’s 2nd Street, and Denver’s’ North Capital Hill. The trend is keeping with an upward 2024 trend after January’s weather-related slump (something we also covered in our recent restaurant webinar). With the solid economy, we’d expect the pace to improve with spring and normal seasonality. The months of March, April, and May are 10%+ larger than January and February (per the Census Bureau).
