MICHAEL SHROYER Special to The Roanoke Times

Members of the Christiansburg all-star team warm up before practice. The team of 13- to 14-year-olds was getting ready for this weekend's 2010 Dixie Boys Baseball World Series, which will take place at the Harkrader Sports Complex in Christiansburg.

JUSTIN COOK The Roanoke Times

Young swimmers warm up at Christiansburg's aquatics center before the Southwest Virginia Swim League Championship Swim Meet earlier this week.

| Lerone Graham

lerone.graham@roanoke.com, 381-8621

Christiansburg will welcome a number of children competing in sporting events in town this weekend, and town officials and business owners anticipate that they and their parents will create a positive economic boost.

Organizers of the 2010 Dixie Boys Baseball World Series and Virginia Age Group Championship Swim Meet expect their events to bring more than 2,000 visitors to town this weekend.

The Dixie Youth World Series, which runs Friday through Wednesday at the Harkrader Sports Complex, features 12 baseball teams in the 13- to 14-year-old age group from 11 states in a double-elimination tournament. As the host, the Christiansburg team receives an automatic invitation. The 11 other teams were determined by state championships in the 11 southeastern states: Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas.

Some 500 athletes, officials and spectators are expected to stay in town for the World Series, Recreation Director Art Price said.

Meanwhile, Christiansburg's newly opened aquatics center will host the Virginia Age Group Championship Meet -- its third tournament in two weeks -- today through Sunday. Swimmers 14 and younger will compete in a variety of competitions each day. Spokeswoman Becky Wilburn conservatively estimates 1,500 swimmers, family members and coaches staying in town for the event.

The town council last month passed a meals tax increase, from 6 percent to 7 percent, that will take effect Sunday, catching the tail end of the swim and most of the World Series. In addition to lodging taxes the events will generate, Wilburn said the meals tax should serve as a "positive way to help sustain and eventually rebuild our financial base."

The World Series provides an opportunity to "showcase" the town, so Price said though he's an avid baseball fan, the event is much bigger than the sport.

"We're going to have people leaving here saying, 'Man, Christiansburg is a class act,' " Price said.

Christiansburg has already been asked to host another World Series in the near future, but Price said the town will gauge the results of this event before accepting.

The recreation department booked rooms at the Quality Inn in Christiansburg, in addition to two Blacksburg hotels and a Radford hotel, Price said. The Quality Inn and other hotels booked for the World Series issued some complimentary rooms -- something Price said was a selling point.

"It has a wonderful economic impact on the area," said David Smith, general manager of the Quality Inn.

Half the hotel is booked for the World Series, Smith said. He said some swim teams stayed at the hotel last weekend and that swim teams this weekend will book about 15 rooms. Though teams must travel, Smith said a larger impact is felt from the fans who travel to support the athletes.

"The impact is beyond just the team; lots of relatives and friends go with them," he said.

Smith said he wishes every team the best of luck, but jokingly said he hopes the teams staying at the Quality Inn advance farthest in the tournament so they stay extra nights.

Aquatics Director Terry Caldwell said coaches will receive a form to give feedback to the town, such as the number of people traveling to the meet and the hotels and restaurants they used.

Representatives of area restaurants and other businesses said they are excited about the number of visitors -- especially those who cater to the younger crowds.

"Oh, it's going to be fantastic," said Pam Gardner, owner of Gardner's Frozen Treats.

Christiansburg has experienced high temperatures lately, so sunny, hot weather, mixed with a large number of children and parents visiting town should create an increase in business, she said.

Kevin Clark, director of operations for Macado's restaurant, said he expects more business, but the amount fluctuates based on factors, such as weather.

"We're just thrilled. Hopefully we'll be able to handle whatever extra business is going to come our way," Clark said.

Macado's has provided catering for aquatics center meetings before the grand opening, Clark said. Now that that pools are open for business, he hopes the restaurant's proximity to the center will continue to lure in swimmers.

Because customers will soon notice larger guest checks because of the raised meals tax, Clark said, he hopes the restaurant's daily specials will offset the increase.

"There's not much you can do about it," Clark said about the tax increase.

"We have good nightly specials and that tends to bring out the crowd. ... Hopefully we'll continue to do well," he said.

NRV SuperBowl owner Terry Stike said he anticipates good business since bowling is a popular form of family entertainment. The alley will offer discounts and gift cards to World Series teams and some area hotels as a way to draw in and keep track of the type of business received.

He said it's "unfortunate" that the meals tax will be passed along to businesses but understands the necessity. The alley draws in between 300 and 700 visitors for its events, so adding the aquatics center and World Series should continue to help the town, Stike said.

"It's pretty awesome to have all of these events and the amount of people that are coming to the New River Valley and Christiansburg," he said.

"The whole community should win."