Downtown Raleigh's rep is growing

Last week, the Hopscotch Music Festival welcomed more than 100 bands and an estimated 17,000 music fans to venues all around downtown Raleigh. This week it is SPARKcon, an event organizers call a "creative potluck," that will draw crowds to the capital city.

Posted 1:59 a.m. Sep 17, 2011 — Updated 2:25 p.m. Sep 17, 2011

RALEIGH, N.C. — Last week, the Hopscotch Music Festival welcomed more than 100 bands and an estimated 17,000 music fans to venues all around downtown Raleigh. This week it is SPARKcon, an event organizers call a "creative potluck," that will draw crowds to the capital city.

The four-day festival of fashion and visual and performing arts is just the latest example that Raleigh is becoming the place to be.

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SPARKcon could draw an estimated 15,000 people to downtown Raleigh.

Artist Jill Frink likes the opportunity to showcase her talent for that audience. Jason Hibbets said he planned to bring the family.

"It resonates from downtown and brings people in from the neighborhoods surrounding the area," he said. "It's just vibrant and makes you want to be here."

SPARKcon is the fourth straight weekend festival to be held downtown. Paul Reimel with the downtown Raleigh Alliance said that kind of streak builds momentum and establishes Raleigh as a destination.

The city's reputation is growing, Reimel said.

"I heard last weekend, people coming in from Ohio and other places where they're following bands that are here. It's certainly a much broader reach, drawing in traffic outside the region and that's really exciting for Raleigh," he said.

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