COLUMBUS -- The Arnold Sports Festival has arrived in Columbus bringing with it thousands of visitors and an estimated $54.1 million into the local economy.
Now in its 30th year, the Arnold Classic brings as many as 22,000 athletes and more than 200,000 attendees to the capital city.
Some businesses, like Bareburger on High Street, began preparing for the event months ago.
“We nearly doubled our staff and ordered and we order 10 times the amount of bison and beef just for this crowd,” Bareburger General Manager John Helsel said.
The Arnold Sports Festival has 70 sports and events including physique, axe throwing and power lifting.
The Arnold is held at the Greater Columbus Convention Center.