RALEIGH, NC (WTVD) – At the Hopscotch Music Festival, the sounds of indie music once again fill the air in downtown Raleigh.

Some small businesses have increased their workforce due to the direct revenue this event generates.

“I see an increase in traffic every year,” said Karey Kidd, owner of Element Taproom. “The event brings so many different people here that don’t normally come downtown anymore. That’s really nice. It’s refreshing to have all these people here trying out our shops, restaurants and bar.”

The festival begins just as Wake County is seeing record tourism.

A recent report showed that in 2023, 18.5 million visitors spent time in the Raleigh metropolitan area and their spending totaled over $3 billion.

Tourism leaders expect 2024 to be an even better year thanks to visitors like Francesca Lazzaroni.

She explores the city of oaks from Italy.

“I like Raleigh because it’s vibrant and a typical North Carolina city,” said Lazzaroni. “I know they have a music festival there. I think that’s a good thing.”

Visit Raleigh said several major events are guaranteed in the new year.

The Soccer Tournament (TST) will return to Cary in 2025.

J. Cole’s Dreamville will once again bring tens of thousands of people to Dix Park.

Brewgaloo, GalaxyCon, the NC Chinese Lantern Festival and the Men’s NCAA College Cup are scheduled to return.

“We’re very optimistic about this year and next year,” said Denny Edwards, CEO of Visit Raleigh. “Demand for Raleigh is increasing on all fronts. And I think that’s because of the diversity of activities. We’re not just dependent on one market. It’s meetings, conventions, leisure, sightseeing, sporting events, so a little bit of everything. College football, of course, is also part of the business we have here.”

Hopscotch runs until Saturday and is a ticketed event.