Orange County

Vrbo Citrus Bowl draws thousands to help boost financial recovery for Orlando businesses

ORLANDO, Fla. — Thousands packed into Camping World Stadium on Saturday for the Vrbo Citrus Bowl, to see the Kentucky Wildcats take on the Iowa Hawkeyes.

Kentucky won the day, but business owners around the stadium said they are celebrating a victory as well.

WATCH: New Year off to a rocky start as canceled flights cause chaos

Businesses like Broken Strings Brewery on Church Street are still working to recover from the financial hit they took after the pandemic shut them down for months.

With bowl game crowds in town, many businesses opened early to draw in extra money from all the visitors.

READ: 9 things to do this weekend: Vrbo Citrus Bowl, New Year’s Eve celebrations & more

“We had people ready to go,” said Charles Frizzell with Broken Strings Brewery. “We had customers here ready to have a beer before they headed over (to the stadium).”

Many business owners in the area also said they are counting on foot traffic after the game to help bring in revenue.

WATCH: Miley Cyrus smoothly handles wardrobe malfunction during New Year’s Eve telecast

See more in the video above.

Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, and click here to watch the latest news on your Smart TV.