Memorial Day Weekend Busy in Palm Springs
Thousands of people are roaming the streets of Palm Springs this weekend, giving business a big boost.
And the city predicted this would be a busy weekend for several reasons.
Plenty of tourists are in town for the holiday weekend, whether escaping the gloom for sunshine or for a Memorial Day weekend with Marilyn Monroe.
Marilyn performed for troops overseas in Korea, and now she's in town just in time for Memorial Day.
Air Force veteran, Tom Tidwell says its good to have her in Palm Springs.
"Well I have children in Vegas and I joked with them yesterday that we've got something that Vegas doesn't have, we have Marilyn came to town to visit for a year," said Tidwell, a Desert Hot Springs resident.
Marilyn Monroe is basking in the sunshine in downtown Palm Springs, and it looks like everyone wants a picture with the towering icon.
So was Marilyn worth the over 100,000 dollars it cost to bring her here?
It was paid for by private parties, not city money.
"Oh I think so, not only for the income for the valley, but future visitors will also see the town and come back again," said Tidwell.
"Yes I do, I see a lot of people taking pictures, enjoying her, and I think it's great for Palm Springs," said Cathedral City resident, Beverly Wilson.
This is Audra's first visit to Palm Springs with her friends for her bachlorette party.
"Great night out, had some great drinks, had a great dinner, had a great brunch, had a lot of fun, sat by the pool," said Audra Astiasuain, a San Diego resident.
Many visitors are flooding into town -- some hotels, like the Hyatt, sold out for the weekend.
Restaurants say this year is looking busier than last year's Memorial Day weekend.
"It's been real busy, we've been working a lot of hours and we've had waiting times to get into the restaurant, so its been pretty good," said Kalura Trattoria employee, Loren Briscoe.
And Marilyn may play a part in the bustling business.
"She's definitely brought some business in here, because I've had some customers tell me that they are down here just to see Marilyn," said Sinfulicious Bodycare employee, Alexis Mrzlak.
Stores say this long weekend is starting strong.
"This weekend's been crazy busy, when I came in this weekend I was like oh my gosh, its packed, so I was like, is it Marilyn Monroe, is it because it's Memorial Day weekend, I don't know but its been crazy busy," said Mrzlak.
Time will tell, we have Marilyn for a year.
"I wish we could keep her here all the time," said Wilson.
And whether its Marilyn, the weather, or the economy, people we talked all said it is a busier Memorial Day weekend for business than last year.





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