WACO, Texas — Downtown businesses are expecting more foot traffic this weekend as the 'Deep in the Heart Film Festival' centers its events on Austin Avenue.
The weekend-long festival features events at local businesses like Anthem Stories, the Hippodrome Theatre, Cultivate 7Twelve and Stay Classy Waco.
Stay Classy Waco hosted the film festival's Thursday night after party. Co-owner Jacob Green was preparing for the party on Thursday afternoon and said last year the festival brought a lot of traffic to the area.
"This year, we're seasoned and grizzled vets now," Green said.
Stay Classy opened just about a year ago.
With fewer people in town during the summer, Green said business can be slow. He's hopeful the event will liven up the city's downtown district.
"This little area is about to get all the boost that it needs," Green said. "Summer is slow. Students are gone. So this is a nice little injection for the economy."
Anthem Stories had a chance to show off its newly renovated space to festival attendees on Thursday afternoon during a red carpet event.
Hannah Bowman, event manager for Stories, said it was the most high-profile event the space has seen since it opened doors last fall.
"It's fun to be able to invite all those people, who have been excited, into this building into the space," Bowman said. "They can celebrate its restoration along with us."
She said she hopes the festival will help show off downtown Waco's changing landscape.
For more information or to find a schedule of events for this weekend's film festival, visit the 'Deep in the Heart Film Festival' website.
