As the sternwheelers line up along the Ohio River, hundreds of people pack the streets of Marietta.

"It was crazy last night just how many people were here," Katherine Hoskinson, a Work's Place employee, said. "Whenever it's like this we have a lot of people back here and we can get a lot of hours."

Katherine isn't the only one excited about the large crowds.

"It's good for all of downtown. Everybody benefits from it," Rob Schafer, the owner of Schafer Leather Store, said. "On a sternwheel Saturday we would double to triple a normal Saturday."

The festival is great for Marietta's economy, but for downtown businesses, it's not just about the money.

"It's almost a reunion," Schafer said. "We see people. I just had a group come in from Texas that come every year, so we look forward to seeing them. We've got people from all over within about a 300 mile area. This is the only time we get to see them."

Local businesses also say that even though this is the busiest time of the year with the most sales, it's also the most hectic.