It has one of the biggest economic impact events for Colorado, and yet not everybody knows that it happens. That is, unless you may have wanted to book a room; then you find out, quickly.

Maybe you had friends/family coming to town for the 4th of July holiday, only to find that they couldn't get a room, nearby. If this event gets much bigger, finding a room within 200 miles of where you want to be, may be hard.

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Forget about needing a fancy "5-star" hotel room; finding ANY hotel room along Colorado's Front Range was all but impossible for the last week of June leading to July 2023. It was all for an event that's noted as having the second-biggest impact on our economy, behind the Democratic National Convention.

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It's fastpitch softball.  Colorado's own Fireworks and Sparkler Tournaments for '18 and under' and '16 and under.' The Fireworks tournament dates back to 1969, and the Sparkler dates back to 2002. Tens of thousands of families rearrange their 4th of July plans to participate in the two tournaments, that happened June 25 through July 2 for the 2023 session.

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The Sparkler Junior Tournament ('14 and Under,' '12 and under') also took place along the Front Range, north of Denver.

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To say the tournaments are big is an understatement when you look at the numbers:

  • Over 1,000 teams.
  • 15,000+ athletes.
  • Over 150 lodging (hotel, motel) locations.
  • More than 50,000 hotel room nights.
  • Over 4,000 games played (overall.)
  • Nearly all 50 states participated.
  • Each player pays over $2,500.
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Many Coloradans not only found it very difficult to find a room but local restaurants were packed, as well.  Did you feel the impact?

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