For one weekend every May, Indianapolis becomes one of the busiest cities in the country.
About 350,000 fans pack the Indianapolis Motor Speedway from every state and dozens of countries, making it one of the largest single-day sporting events in the world. Visitors fill hotels, line up at restaurants, hop on rideshare apps, and stroll around Indianapolis with money to spend. On a typical weekend, a neighborhood bar might serve a steady stream of regulars. During Indy 500 weekend, that same bar can serve thousands.
For local businesses, this surge is everything. Mike's Speedway Lounge, just steps from the track, served roughly 5,000 people during 2025's race weekend. Dawson's on Main in Speedway once had to post a thank-you note on Facebook because the crowd "cleaned them out" of inventory.
That’s the reality of the Indianapolis 500.
The 110th running rolls into town on Sunday, May 24, 2026. Hundreds of thousands of visitors will be right behind it.
For small business owners, May isn’t just another month. It’s a fifth season added onto their year. A chance to grow revenue, gain new customers, and build momentum for the rest of the year.
Here's what that really means for the small businesses across our city, and how small business owners can get ready.
The scale of the Indy 500’s impact is hard to overstate.
In 2023, the Indiana University Public Policy Institute studied the full economic reach of IMS. Their report still gives the clearest picture we have. You can read the full study here.
A few highlights:
For context, that $1 billion impact is roughly double what was measured a decade earlier in 2012-2013. The event has grown—and so has its influence on local businesses.
And the impact keeps climbing. In 2025, the Indy Chamber estimated that race weekend (combined with the Pacers' playoff run downtown) drove more than $450 million in economic activity in just five days.
The takeaway is simple. This isn't just a race. This isn’t just a race. It’s one of the state's largest economic engines.
When people think about the Indy 500, they picture the track. But the real economic story stretches far beyond it.
Speedway’s Main Street becomes ground zero for activity all month long. Popular spots such as Brozinni Pizzeria, Dawson's on Main, Mike's Speedway Lounge, and Founders Grounds Coffee all see customers from around the world. Many owners say May revenue helps carry them through the slower months of the year.
Downtown Indy stays just as busy. Restaurants and bars along Mass Ave, in the Bottleworks District, and on Georgia Street fill up with race fans grabbing dinner and exploring the different places downtown.
The boost reaches the suburbs, too. Restaurants in Carmel's Arts & Design District, Fishers' Nickel Plate District, Greenwood, Plainfield, and almost every other Indianapolis suburb all see extra traffic as visitors stay nearby and drive in for race events.
Out-of-state fans need places to sleep, and they fill nearly every available room. According to Hotel Management, Indianapolis hotels even outperformed the broader U.S. market in 2024 on occupancy, rate, and revenue. Visit Indy has reported that nearly all 8,400 of the city's downtown hotel rooms fill up during race weekend. Local Airbnbs and short-term rentals fill up across the metro area, too.
Souvenir stands, apparel boutiques, and gas stations all see major spikes. Downtown shops pick up extra foot traffic between the Month of May events. And convenience stores, gas stations, and retail along the major routes through Carmel, Fishers, Plainfield, and Greenwood all see steady increases as out-of-town fans drive in and out of the city all weekend.
Bartenders, servers, rideshare drivers, parking attendants, and event staff often earn a large boost in their income in just one week. As one local owner put it: "It's what the bartenders work for, what the servers work for. Everybody comes to Speedway for this one week."
That same boost reaches the workers serving downtown crowds. It also lifts rideshare drivers and hospitality staff working in hotels and restaurants in the Indianapolis Metro.
The impact doesn’t stop in Speedway. Downtown Indianapolis sees packed weekends, especially when the race overlaps with other events. In recent years, city leaders have estimated hundreds of millions in economic activity over just a few days when major events stack together.
Central Indiana communities benefit, too. Hotels in areas like Kokomo, Lafayette, and Columbus fill up. Local restaurants and service providers see increased demand from visitors staying outside the I-465 bubble.
You don’t have to be next to the track to feel the energy.
Not all revenue is created equal.
The IU study makes an important distinction between local spending and out-of-state spending. Why? Because out-of-state dollars represent new money entering the economy.
According to the report, ~72% of May’s economic impact comes from out-of-state visitors
Local business owners feel the difference.
They’ve reported customers from Brazil, Australia, and across the U.S. That kind of foot traffic is rare for small Indianapolis businesses any other time of year and is adding entirely new dollars to the system.
It’s not just more business. It’s different business.
The Indy 500 may be the headline event, but the economic impact of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway doesn’t stop there, as the track hosts events all year long.
The Speedway acts as a permanent anchor for the local economy.
For small businesses, that means opportunity doesn’t begin and end with race weekend. It’s part of a larger ecosystem that supports activity throughout the year.
The Indy 500 is more than the greatest spectacle in racing. For thousands of small businesses across Central Indiana, it's a lifeline.
Inventory flies off the shelves. Staff pick up extra hours. Tip jars fill up. Hotels run at capacity. The energy around the city is unmatched anywhere else in the country.
For many local owners, May revenue helps cover slower months and fund growth for the rest of the year. New customers from around the world walk through the door, and many become loyal fans of the businesses they discover. Race weekend builds a stronger Central Indiana economy long after the checkered flag drops.
So if you run a small business here, get ready. Stock up. Train your team. Welcome the crowds.
Then go enjoy the race.