Downtown visitors, spending show merrier holiday season

Downtown Cincinnati boosters say the 2014 holiday season was more jolly than the previous year as more visitors spent time and money at restaurants, shops and themed events.

Warmer weather through the late fall and early winter likely helped the city have one of the strongest holiday seasons in recent years, said David Ginsburg, president and CEO of Downtown Cincinnati Inc.

But Ginsburg, who leads the nonprofit group, said higher visitor counts for events and record spending at some businesses is driven by more people wanting to spend time in the city's central business district.

"We're seeing a strong resurgence in Downtown as the place to be to celebrate holiday traditions – watching Santa rappel, riding the Holly Jolly Trolley, ice skating, having a family dinner at one of the amazing restaurants and doing some shopping," said Mindy Rosen, a DCI senior vice president and spokeswoman.

DCI and the Cincinnati Center City Development Corp. rounded up some of the notable accomplishments during the holiday season.