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Pella’s lodging industry is booming as race fans in the area for the 50th Annual Knoxville Nationals have likely filled every vacant place to stay in the county.

“We have around 390 hotel rooms, including a couple cabin-type retreats, and our [bed and breakfasts] as well, and they are all sold out for the events,” says Jill Vandevoort, Director of the Pella Convention and Visitors Bureau.

She says many of the guests staying in Pella this year are repeat customers from years past; as local hotel managers have worked hard to build relationships with the race fans that visit the area annually.

“I do know a lot of our hoteliers have been in this business long enough to know that it’s great to take those return guests year-to-year,” says Vandevoort. “So you develop those friendships, you offer those rooms to them first right of refusal, and then you have this cameraderie of people congregating in your lobby and getting to know each other throughout the event.”

Vandevoort says nearly all of the hotels in Pella were booked for the Nationals several weeks ago, adding that it will be common for race fans to go ahead and book next year’s stay as they leave this year’s event.