ORLANDO, Fla. – Music lovers are packing the streets again in Parramore for the Vans Warped Tour.
Lindsay, who was attending the event, said it’s a chance “to be someone else for the weekend and get out of the day-to-day grind, to stop cooking dinner and then just come up here and rock our faces off.”
Ashley Griffin, another attendee added, “It’s the 30th anniversary. In 2018 we went to the last Warped Tour.”
But more people also means more cars and more road closures.
Lindsay said parking alone can be overwhelming.
“Parking is insane. It’s like $40 for a spot and it’s really hard to get out of the parking lot,” Lindsay said.
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Residents and businesses — like Batts Lakeview Funeral Home — are turning those obstacles into opportunities. Joanne Harmon with the funeral home said events like EDC and Warped Tour bring crowds looking for parking.
“It helps the community, but not only does it help the community — patrons that are coming to the festivals and everything — they’re looking for a safe place to park and we want to give them that,” she said.
By allowing cars to park on their property, Harmon said the business earns extra money just before the holidays.
“You can get anywhere from $300 to maybe a couple of thousand, depending on how much space you have on your property,” she explained.
Harmon added that they’ve set up security cameras and work with nearby residents and businesses to watch over cars and keep pricing consistent.
“As long as it’s for economic growth — not only for the city of Orlando but for the locals as well — it’s gonna be a great thing,” she said.