CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WICS/WRSP) — Homecoming is bringing more than Illini pride to Champaign-Urbana this weekend, with about 60,000 people expected to visit and pump more than $4 million into the local economy.

From hotels and restaurants to retail stores, businesses across the area are preparing for one of the busiest weekends of the year.

“Last year we saw a 50% increase in our retail spending and a 60% increase in our food and beverage spending,” said Terri Reifsteck with Experience Champaign-Urbana.

That spending can add up quickly as thousands of fans look for places to stay, eat and pick up last-minute tailgate supplies.

For Papa Del’s Pizza Factory, Homecoming means bringing in more employees and preparing its ovens for a major rush.

“It is one of the busiest weekends of the year. We schedule extra staff and fire up both of our ovens that can fit 100(+) pizzas, each. We have a few private events scheduled as well, and this truly confirms that we are a pizza factory!” said Andrea Seten, secretary of corporation for Papa Del’s.

Seten said Saturday’s game time gives employees some breathing room between the pregame crowd and the postgame dinner rush. With Purdue coming to town, the restaurant is also expecting plenty of visiting fans.

This year, Experience Champaign-Urbana is working to encourage those visitors to explore more of the area beyond campus.

“For this year, one of the things that we really changed is we developed some itineraries for people specifically surrounding game day,” said Reifsteck.

Those itineraries highlight activities and destinations including pumpkin patches, farmers markets and local restaurants, giving visitors options before and after the game.

Tourism leaders say the economic impact also extends beyond business owners to the people working during the busy weekend.

“So when you think about additional people coming in, you're thinking about the additional tips that those people might get home,” said Reifsteck.

For servers and other hospitality workers, the additional visitors could mean a bigger night of tips. Every stop visitors make can also generate additional tax revenue for the community.

“They are getting out, they are spending their money, and they are creating tax dollars for this community,” said Reifsteck.

Experience Champaign-Urbana plans to review spending data about eight days after Homecoming to determine how much visitors spent and where that money went.

The Fighting Illini will take on Purdue in their Homecoming game Saturday at 3:15 p.m.