WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. — This will be a busy two weeks for the Williamsport area. The population is expected to grow by tens of thousands of people during the Little League World Series.
The Little League World Series features 20 teams from around the world, with ten international teams ten from the United States.
The opening ceremonies will be happening today at 11:00am.
This is a chance for the teams to introduce themselves to the crowd. They'll march onto the field holding signs and flags, getting the crowd pumped up for the next week and a half of baseball.
During the Little League World Series, restaurants and hotels in our area see an increase in business. According to the Williamsport Lycoming Chamber of Commerce, the series brings in about $32 million to the area.
"They're eating at the local restaurants, the really local community restaurants. They're shopping at the local boutique shops. They're grabbing coffee at a local coffee shop. All that money gets circulated and it's great to see how it really impacts our community that way," Williamsport Lycoming Chamber of Commerce President CEO Jason Fink said.
In addition to that economic boost, the Little League World Series showcases our area to the rest of the world. Many of the teams go to Major League baseball games and some even go to Knoebels.