TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — This weekend, hundreds of teams and thousands of visitors are in Tucson for the 36th Annual Fort Lowell Shootout, one of the city's largest soccer tournaments. Beyond the games on the field, the tournament is also driving business off the field.
A weekend at the Fort Lowell Shootout isn't just busy—it's huge for business. Some vendors say the sales they make in just a couple of days at the event can match what they would normally earn in an entire month.
The tournament hosts 400 teams competing in Tucson, with nearly 300 traveling from out of town, according to a representative from RSL-AZ Southern Arizona Soccer Club.
Those teams translate into thousands of visitors, each one spending money on hotels, food and transportation.
"It definitely boosts economic for all of the vendors. They get a nice crowd of people that come out, especially during the soccer. It's like all day long," William Watts said.
Watts is the owner of Wild Will's Kettle Corn, who has been selling at the tournament for years.
RSL-AZ estimates each team averages 12-16 players, often traveling with two to three family members per athlete. For vendors like Watts, the steady stream of visitors means constant business.
"You can spend all day here. You can get your lunch, your dinner here, and plus you can get your snacks in between time. And then kettle corn is just a good treat for everybody," Watts said.
According to RSL-AZ, the last formal economic study, done several years ago, estimated the tournament brought more than $4 million into Tucson. Based on updated numbers, they now estimate at least $4.5 million in economic impact—just from food, hotels and gas alone.
"It's great to have this event in January and then right off this event comes the Gem Show," Vicky Gallardo said.
Gallardo is the owner of Oh Wow! Mini Donuts. She tells me weekends like this can set the tone for the year. Gallardo says last year, she sold about 7,000 donuts, not including everything else on her menu.
"Our specialty is our donut sundaes and that has actually picked up. I think over a two-day weekend, we've sold about 400 donut sundaes. So, it's awesome," Gallardo said.
Both Watts and Gallardo say events like the Fort Lowell Shootout continue to be a key driver for Tucson's economy.
The Fort Lowell Shootout is from Jan. 16-18 at the Kino Sports Complex. More details on the tournament are here.
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Jacqueline Aguilar is a multimedia journalist at KGUN 9. Born and raised in Yuma, AZ., she is no stranger to the unforgiving Arizona heat. Now this U of A wildcat is excited to be back in Tucson and is looking forward to involving herself in the community. Share your story ideas with Jacqueline by emailing jacqueline.aguilar@kgun9.com or connecting on Facebook, Instagram or X.
