With the significant influx of out-of-town guests to the area for this weekend’s festivities, Harding’s campus is hardly the only place to feel the weekend’s impacts. Spring Sing weekend also poses both significant challenges and benefits to the wider Searcy community as well.
Because so many visitors fill Searcy’s streets and businesses this weekend, Searcy residents may experience inconveniences. Corporal Steve Hernandez, the Searcy Police Department’s public information officer, said although Spring Sing weekend is something the community enjoys and benefits from, it can cause difficulties for many Searcy residents.
“The issues that the Searcy Police Department or the city of Searcy may see as a result of Spring Sing weekend is the large increase of traffic,” Hernandez said. “With the volume of traffic from Spring Sing, we will see an increase in calls like accidents and vehicle unlocks. Having an event like Spring Sing is great for local businesses though. It is hard to find a restaurant without a long wait, an empty hotel, or even hard to find a short line at a local store. As frustrating as it may be for locals, it is a great thing for our economy.”
Craig Robinson is the general manager and owner of Doc’s Grill & Steakhouse, located on Beebe Capps Expressway. Although some residents may find traffic and long lines bothersome when in a hurry, Robinson said his restaurant plans for and looks forward to Spring Sing weekend each year.
“Spring Sing weekend is something we start planning for months in advance, and the influx of visitors in town really boosts business for us,” Robinson said. “Doc’s has always been supported by the local Harding University community, and we also very much appreciate the patronage of our out-of-town guests during Spring Sing. “
This weekend’s heavy economic impact is certainly good for business, but that impact also affects the community on a much more personal level. Lori Sloan, an associate professor of marketing who has worked alongside many local businesses over the years, said it is important to remember that businesses and restaurants are not just about an exchange of goods or services. Businesses employ members of the community, and Sloan said customers should be careful to treat those members of the community with respect and dignity as they go out into Searcy this weekend.
“My advice to visitors and students, especially for church people, is don’t be that family that (restaurants) dread that you are going to come in and let your child smash all their crackers in the restaurant and leave the table trashed and steal sugar packets and be rude and give a one dollar tip,” Sloan said. “While that’s not the majority, that’s what church people are known for sometimes, and it’s easy to lose track of that. As students and guests from Harding, we should be aware of what impression we are leaving on people who live and work in the community.”
