NEW ORLEANS -- In a couple of days we should know just how many people attended the 2010 Essence Music Festival, but with New Orleans hotels sold out this weekend, tourism officials believe for the most part people did not shy away from the event, despite the massive oil leak in the gulf.
The skies may be a cloudy, but what's clear to Shemika Brown is that her decision to come to New Orleans was a good one.
Not even a seafood allergy could stop her from sampling the local flavor.
“I had to try it. You can't come to New Orleans and not eat seafood,” said Brown, a New York resident.
That was a valid concern for tourism officials. But despite the massive oil leak in the Gulf, thousands turned out for the festival.
For a 14-year veteran, Carlos Burnett estimated the crowd to be in the hundreds of thousands.
"You've got to think about the teachers in town so that is a shared economic impact. I know New Orleans is still hurting after Katrina and oil spill, hopefully this will help out,” said Burnett, an Atlanta resident.
And he did his part. With a little bit of research, Burnett as well as some other fest goers were not afraid to eat the food.
"I wasn't concerned about the seafood at all, but one question was I didn’t know if would get a chance to eat oysters or not. I found out before I came down oysters were OK, so that made me want to get down here sooner,” Burnett said.
"The food was great, service was great. I didnt have any issues. I didnt worry about it,” said Kenyatta Clark, a Dallas resident.
Over at the airport there was also a steady line of people headed back home, including Secela Evans and Richard Fields from Los Angeles. It was their first time here, but they promised it wouldn't be their last.
"From start to end the locals are nice and warm here in the city of New Orleans, and we definitely will be returning."
Giving the local economy a much needed boost during a usually slow time of the year, and a now uncertain future.
