Fences are going up around the historic district and promoters are charging visitors $22 to get in.

GALVESTON, Texas — It’s a party down in Galveston.

Mardi Gras celebrations kicked off on Friday night.

Thousands of people are expected to flock to the island for some fun.

Green, purple and gold has taken over the Stand.

However, getting all those people into some of those local businesses is harder than you think.

The city of Galveston has a contract with the organizer of Mardi Gras.

Organizers have blocked the streets and will charge people to get into the festival, which some businesses said makes February one of the worst months for business.

This year’s festivities will be a first for the Shark Shack.

Owner Allen Flores said Mardi Gras is a great event in Galveston.

He welcomes the crowds but getting to the restaurant will cost you.

Fences are going up around the historic district and promoters are charging visitors $22 to get in.

“We have customers who just love coming here and they just told us they’re going to stay away for two weeks because they don’t want to pay some third party to have access to public streets and check out our place,” Flores said.

Across the street La King’s Confectionary has been around since the 1970s.

Mitch King, owner of La King’s, said they’ve seen their fare share of festivals.

“Nobody’s wanting to buy ice cream and candy,” King exclaimed.

“I can only speak for myself but if you don’t sell alcohol you’re screwed,” he added.

King said limited access means limited income.

“Terrible, terrible for business,” he said. “This beer fest that’s going to go on for the next two weeks is probably going to cost me between $30,000 and $50,000 of loss sales.”

City of Galveston spokeswoman Marissa Barnett said the Mardi Gras tradition on the island has been around for more than 100 years.

“This event draws hundreds of thousands of visitors to Galveston and our local businesses," Barnett said. "We have so many excellent restaurants, shops and places to grab a drink on the island, and we encourage anyone coming in for Mardi Gras to eat and shop local while they’re here."

In addition, she said safety is their top priority.

The restricted access helps promote a safe environment.

“We’ve worked with the organizer and we’ve taken proactive measures to ensure a safe and smooth-running Mardi Gras, including preparing for traffic and making sure the organizer has sufficient safety personnel on hand. There are safety personnel out in force and managing traffic.”

It’s a move some shops owners like King said affects their bottom line.

“There won’t be anybody in here for anything but using the bathroom,” King said.

He said there’s other places on the island to hold these kinds of festivals that won’t block businesses.