Downtown Abilene
Market Indicators |
Tourism |
Abilene Hosts 450,000 Visitors Annually
- The Abilene Convention & Visitors Bureau reports that more than 450,000 people visit Abilene each year
- Abilene has hosted 66,206 downtown convention delegates in 2000, and 2,090 motor coach tour participants
- These tourists accounted for over $17 million in direct expenditures to the Abilene economy
- Tourism generated $3.3 million in local tax revenue in 1999.
|
|
Downtown Businesses Employ over 6,000
- Over 700 businesses and 6,000 employees occupy downtown
- Downtown serves as financial core of the city
- Government buildings and offices include Abilene City Hall, Taylor County Courthouse, Abilene Federal Building, and the offices of Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, Congressman Charlie Stenholm, and State Senator Troy Fraser.
- Numerous upscale bookstores, coffee shops, bars, home furnishing stores, and small restaurants dot the downtown map
- A new and growing sector in downtown Abilene is telecommunications-headquarters include Southwestern Bell and several telemarketing and telecommunications servicing companies.
|
Arts & Cultural Institutions |
Downtown Boasts 2nd Most Cultural Institutions in State
- Abilene has more arts and cultural institutions per capita than any city in Texas besides Houston
- 95% of these institutions are located in the downtown cultural district hosting thousands of patrons annually
- Some of the organizations located downtown include The Grace Museum, National Center for Children's Illustrated Literature, Center for Contemporary Arts, Abilene Ballet Theater, Abilene Opera Association, Abilene Philharmonic Orchestra, Abilene Classical Chorus, Abilene Cultural Affairs Council, Classical Youth Chorus and the Paramount Theater
|
Business & Leisure Destinations |
Downtown Meeting & Entertainment Facilities
Welcome 1 Million People Annually
Abilene Civic Center
535,857 guests in 2000
- 1,000 event days per year
- 100% capacity on weekends
- 96% capacity on weekdays
- 18 convention & meeting room spaces
- 2,142 seat auditorium
- Convention space for almost 4,000 people
Windsor Apartments & Ballroom
- 80 apartment units
- 156 reserved events annually
- 10,400 persons attending events
Center for Contemporary Arts
- 12,500 patrons annually
- 48 reserved events per year
- 3,840 persons attending events
Quality Inn - Civic Center
qualityabilene@aol.com(email)
- 50,000 guests annually
- 116 Rooms
|
Paramount Theater
-109,000 guests annually
- 60 films per year
--600 attend per weekend, all weekends
- 13 live productions annually
--13,000 attendees yearly including performances by Abilene Opera Association,
Abilene Ballet Theater, & in-house shows
- 150 Miscellaneous Rental Functions
--60,000 attend annually
--Three events per month
Grace Museum
- 60,696 patrons annually
- 218 reserved events per year
- 18,000 persons attending
Center for Children's Illustrated Literature
- 17,500 patrons annually
- 60 reserved events per year
- 7,500 persons attending reserved events
|
|
Recurring Events
Monthly
Annually
|
Festivals, Parades & Shows Lure 250,000+ Downtown
Artwalk
Attendance-900-2,000 depending on season (13,200 annually)
Date-2nd Thursday of every month
Award-winning downtown promotion in which all museums & galleries are free of charge
|
|
Celebrate Abilene!
Attendance-25,000
Date-April
Celebrates Abilene's culture, highlighting art and the contributions of the railroad |
West Texas Fair & Rodeo
Attendance-130,000
Date-September
The downtown parade preceding this event is the longest parade held in Texas |
Abilene Christian University Homecoming Musical
Attendance-6,200 over three performances
Date-October
Annual full-scale musical held in the Abilene Civic Center |
Performing Arts Series
Attendance-10,000 anticipated over five performances
Dates-Summer through Fall
Broadway show series held in the Abilene Civic Center |
Festival of the Americas
Attendance-12,000
Date-September
Downtown festival celebrates Latin-American culture |
City Sidewalks
Attendance-5,000
Date-November
Christmas parade and entertainment sponsored by the Abilene Downtown Association |
Western Heritage Classic
Attendance-30,000
Date-May
Parade & activities celebrate western culture in Abilene |
|
|
|
.