Tri-Cities cornhole open expected to boost June tourism spending

Pasco’s cornhole weekend carried more than bracket stakes. Visit Tri-Cities said the region’s more than 30 June events were expected to generate $6.3 million in visitor spending, and the ACL Tri-Cities Open at HAPO Center was one of the clearest examples of how a three-day tournament turns into hotel nights, restaurant traffic and summer cash flow across the Tri-Cities.

The American Cornhole League stop ran June 19-21 at HAPO Center in Pasco and drew a broader field than the usual neighborhood tournament. Players were set for variety tournaments on Friday, doubles on Saturday and Sunday Singles to close the event, with both pros and amateurs in the mix. ESPN+ also carried live coverage of ACL Tri-Cities Open 2026 Women’s, Senior and Junior Open Singles on Friday, giving the event a national distribution that most local competitions never get.

That reach is exactly why tourism officials keep circling back to sports. Kevin Lewis, president and CEO of Visit Tri-Cities, said every event has an economic impact because visitors stay in hotels, dine in restaurants and shop locally, and the money then moves through the broader economy. Visit Tri-Cities said the region hosted 168 conventions, sports and group activities that generated more than $35.7 million in direct spending and brought 132,501 people to meetings, tournaments and group events.

The cornhole open fit neatly into that model. Visit Tri-Cities listed the Tri-Cities Open on its public calendar for the same June 19-21 window, and HAPO Center said tickets were available and that the venue offered more than 1,000 parking spaces, a practical edge for fans and players driving in from around the region. In a market that also sells winery and vineyard trips, river recreation and entertainment, the ACL stop gave Pasco a sports product with travel appeal, not just a local draw.

The bigger point is that ACL dates like this one sell the city twice. They bring in competitors who need rooms and meals, and they put Pasco on a streaming platform where the league’s women’s, senior and junior divisions can be watched far beyond Washington. That combination of live gate, broadcast visibility and regional spending is what makes the Tri-Cities Open more than another stop on the calendar.