Okeechobee Music and Arts Festival returns with heavy traffic and local business boost

The four-day Okeechobee Music and Arts Festival returned after a two-year hiatus on Thursday, drawing thousands and creating hour-long traffic backups while local businesses reported higher sales.

The four-day Okeechobee Music and Arts Festival returned after a two-year hiatus on Thursday in Okeechobee County. Thousands of drivers headed to the event, leading to hour-long backups at the festival entrance. Local restaurants and vendors reported increased customers and higher sales linked to the influx. County officials said the festival runs through Sunday. Key details: - Thousands of drivers arrived Thursday, creating hour-long backups at the festival entrance. - The festival returned after a two-year break and runs Thursday to Sunday. - Local staff and owners reported higher sales and more customers: a server at Brown Cow Sweetery said customer traffic is up, Gladys' co-owner Garr Russell reported sales up about 25% yesterday and 20% that morning and mentioned a large takeout order, and a Joeys Pizzaria employee noted an increase in deliveries. - Okeechobee County expects 30,000 to 35,000 visitors who are projected to spend millions of dollars over the weekend. - Fire Rescue announced it has doubled staffing and added extra trucks and ambulances for the event. - The Okeechobee County Sheriff's Office said it had arrested three people on drug charges and issued a warning about bringing drugs to the festival. Summary: The influx of festival-goers has provided a noticeable economic lift for local businesses while prompting increased emergency and law enforcement staffing for the weekend. The festival continues through Sunday, with county officials expecting tens of thousands of visitors over the four days.