Downtown is a space for gathering, whether in celebration, protest, or solidarity. We take pride in being the beating heart of the City of Los Angeles. But as DTLA grapples with decreased public safety, abandoned structures, closures of our favorite restaurants, and other economic challenges—we are reminded to make the most of the moments when thousands flood to the city center, and use these opportunities to build community and resilience.

 With Major League Baseball’s Opening Day almost upon us—and many of us still celebrating the Los Angeles Dodgers 2024 World Series victory—let’s take a moment to appreciate the jolt of activity that the 2024 World Series parade brought to Downtown. Working with our partners at the DTLA Alliance who examined data from Placer.ai, we found that there were nearly 200,000 more visitors to DTLA on the day of the Dodgers parade than a typical Friday in 2024.

Those visitors didn’t just leave after celebrating, they visited DTLA’s restaurants, shops, and destinations. The data shows that compared to a typical Friday:

• DTLA eateries saw a massive surge, serving over 26 times their usual customers;
• DTLA shopping centers saw more than 30 times the amount of foot traffic; and
• There were about 11 times as many visitors to DTLA’s parks, landmarks, and attractions.

While available data doesn’t allow us to capture exactly how much was spent that day, we estimate that paradegoers spent at least $500,000 to $770,000 at DTLA restaurants alone. By simply looking at photos of the parade and its seemingly unending crowds along DTLA’s major arteries, it’s clear that it brought an injection of life, economic activity, and civic pride to the center of the city. These numbers help us understand the magnitude and importance of large events.

 We must keep filling DTLA’s streets and public spaces with exciting programming and activities—beyond hometown teams winning championships (which, luckily, happens often!) This includes drawing visitors to experience our cultural centers and celebrated institutions, sports and entertainment venues, restaurants and bars, exhibitions of local artists, showcases for musicians and performers, and all variety of special events.

 As we have seen, these events can be a boon for the Downtown ecosystem. While we hope to host another Dodgers World Series parade by year’s end, let’s not wait until then to keep showcasing what DTLA has to offer.