PIAA Swimming Championships Bring Thousands of Visitors, Big Business to Lewisburg

Ribbons hung from parking meters along Market Street, hotels from Shamokin Dam to Williamsport filled to capacity, and the line at All Star Bagels stretched with customers who had never heard of the place until a Bucknell swimmer told them about it. The PIAA Boys' and Girls' Swimming and Diving Championships, held March 13–16 at Bucknell University's Kinney Natatorium, brought an estimated 6,000 visitors to the Lewisburg area over four nights and are projected to generate roughly $2.3 million in local spending, according to Andrew Miller, executive director of the Susquehanna River Valley Visitors Bureau.

Nearly 1,000 of Pennsylvania's top high school swimmers and divers competed in the four-day meet at the Kinney Natatorium inside Bucknell's Kenneth Langone Athletics and Recreation Center, with sellout crowds filling the facility each session. The championships are televised on the Pennsylvania Cable Network.

For businesses in downtown Lewisburg, the timing matters as much as the dollars. "The PIAA Swimming and Diving Championships, held every March in Lewisburg, provides a much-welcomed boost to the economy in regard to visitor spending at area businesses during a time of year which is usually very quiet," Miller said. He added that hotels were full across the region, with lodging properties from Shamokin Dam to Williamsport and Lewisburg to Danville all reporting strong occupancy driven by the combination of regular seasonal guests and the championship crowd.

Workers at All Star Bagels said the surge in foot traffic was familiar and welcome. "A lot of the times we deal with the college, so everybody at the college knows that we have a great bagel shop here, and they spread the word, so the people hear about it and come on through, and they come to try our bagels," said Barlett. Stein Flowers and Gifts on Market Street was also among the downtown businesses that prepared for the influx. For some workers, the human side of the event is what stands out most. "It's always fun hearing out where they're from; that's usually, I think, my favorite, to hear how far they've traveled," said Stoltzfus.

Miller credited the longevity of the partnership for the event's consistent economic punch. "For the last 17 years, we have welcomed PIAA officials, teams and attendees to Lewisburg and the Susquehanna River Valley," he said. "We feel that the stellar venue at Bucknell University and the welcoming hospitality from our businesses and residents has created a model for success between Bucknell University, PIAA, and the visitors bureau."

That partnership now has a guaranteed runway through 2028. The PIAA has approved Kinney Natatorium as the official site of its Boys' and Girls' Swimming and Diving Championships through that year. The facility opened in October 2002 and has hosted the state meet every year since, with the exception of 2021, when COVID-19 restrictions forced the event to relocate.

Jermaine Truax, Bucknell's vice president for athletics and recreation, framed the championships as more than a sporting event for the university. "Bucknell is proud to boast a first-class aquatics center, and the PIAA Championships represent a wonderful opportunity to show off Kinney Natatorium, our beautiful campus, and the charm of Lewisburg to visitors from all over the state of Pennsylvania every March," Truax said. "I am extremely grateful to our generous donors who have funded this exciting enhancement project, which will keep Bucknell positioned to host major swimming and water polo championship events for many years to come.