Hordes of baseball fans — both local and from the Milwaukee area — are crowding into downtown businesses near Tropicana Field as the Tampa Bay Rays host the World Series.
Sophie Lenzie works at the front desk of the Moxy St. Petersburg Downtown, a hotel a few blocks from the Trop. A few Milwaukee Brewers fans milled about the lobby bar.
"It's so busy and so crazy with the games in town," said Lenzie, who says they've seen a definite uptick in hotel stays since the Rays clinched a playoff berth.
"Milwaukee's in the house, and the Rays are in the house," she said, "and it's hilarious to see like the little playful rivalries that go on."
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Lenzie says she's happy the Trop's roof's been repaired after being damaged by Hurricane Milton. But she says they're "in denial" about the team leaving for a new stadium in Tampa.
Just down Central Avenue, Casa Origen Farm Kitchen was buzzing hours before the first home game.
Owner Francisco Cenzon said he's getting baseball fans who want something a little more nutritious than hotdogs and fries.
He's only been open a few days, but has noticed the increase in traffic.
"Absolutely," he said. "I mean, that's common sense, right? Foot traffic has been growing a lot. The city has come alive."
Several nearby restaurant owners said they're also seeing a big increase in that traffic.
Kenneth Hoyumpa co-owns Grassroots Kava House in the Edge District on Central Avenue.
"Definitely see an influx of people, a lot more coffee drinks, mostly before the game, but we're definitely getting some overflow after the game," he said. "So yeah, definitely see a lot more, foot traffic in The Edge, so it's awesome."
And Hoyumpa is rooting for the Rays to hold on as long as they can in the series.
"For sure," he said. "I want them to go seven games, as many games as possible, as many times and get people down here."
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There were nearly as many people wearing Milwaukee Brewers garb as local Tampa Bay Rays fans outside Tropicana Field before Game 3 of the World Series.
Ben Ives came down with his family and several friends from Rhinelander, Wis.
He says it was cheaper to pay the airfare, hotel and game tickets in St. Petersburg than to shell out $3,500 for standing-room only tickets back home.
"I'm thinking it's been so long and our fans are so passionate that I don't want to say we don't really care what it costs, but people will pay what they're going to pay to go to the game," Ives said. "So we got down here all said and done the whole trip for about $2,000."
That's less than the average cost of one Brewers home ticket on the resale market.
His buddy, lifetime Brewers fan Brad Sowinski, also tried to go to his hometown stadium... to little avail.
"Too many fans that are too passionate to see a World Series," he said.
Kevin and Anne Bina were also visiting from West Salem, Wis. It's part of their goal to see all 30 Major League ballparks.
"So we're killing two birds, one stone: World Series game and a stadium. So we only have four left," Kevin Bina said.
"But we got our tickets, our trip, our flight, and everything for less than one ticket in Milwaukee," said Anne Bina.
They weren't planning to stay for Game 4. He drives a school bus, and had to be back home on Wednesday.
