Carlinville Christmas Market is Million-Dollar Event

CARLINVILLE, ILL. – The Carlinville Christmas Market Foundation (CMF) announced that the December 2005 Christmas Market generated approximately $1,000,000 in revenues for Carlinville and the surrounding area. The figures are based on a recent economic impact study that applied Illinois State Bureau of Tourism figures and formulas to average expenditures and sales tax factors for Macoupin County in 2005.

According to CMF President Lea Hudson, “The study shows that last year’s Christmas Market generated $934,500 in area expenditures and $64,480 in tax revenues. That totals $998,980, which is a conservative estimate. It’s difficult to trace every dollar that was spent by the more than 10,000 visitors who came to the Carlinville area for the festival -- but we know that there were gas, food, clothing, and other purchases made away from our town square, the center of the event. So we’re confident that the actual figure is well beyond a million dollars.”