Downtown Raleigh sees economic boost as GalaxyCon draws in thousands of fans

Thousands descended on downtown Raleigh with colorful costumes attending the 7th GalaxyCon at the Convention Center.

Only at GalaxyCon could you get serenaded by Ariel, see her reunited with Prince Eric, and meet Princess Tiana all in the same afternoon.

"This is why we do what we do ...because you want work to touch somebody and move someone," said Anika Noni Rose, who voices Tiana.

These famous voices said Raleigh's GalaxyCon is always one of their favorites.

"There are so many people here and it's such a diverse group and it's just such a great experience, such a great vibe with all the people," said Christopher Daniel Barnes, the voice of Prince Eric from The Little Mermaid.

ALSO SEE: GalaxyCon gets underway at Raleigh Convention Center

"I love my character Ariel she is amazing. She's made an impact on four or five generations now, so it's a blessing," said Jodi Benson, the voice of Ariel from The Little Mermaid.

It was a chance to interact with fans who packed the halls for meet and greets and also stuck around to support local businesses like Emily Foster's

Foster is the founder of AlpacaSews, a boutique stuffed animal brand based in Raleigh.

The NC State grad took a risk, leaving a career in meteorology to do what she loves.

"Convincing my parents that I was not going to do science and I was going to make plushies for a living was a little hard," she said.

Her business took off on Instagram, and now it's her full-time gig, GalaxyCon is one of her biggest events to sell them in real life and meet some of her online followers.

"There are so many people who come up to the booth that say I didn't even know you were going to be here and I am so excited to actually see you in person and see your stuff in person," she said.

It's part of the reason GalaxyCon has grown over the last seven years. And with downtown Raleigh seeing new expansion, the founder decided to renew their contract through 2031.

"We said, hey look, you're supporting us, you're investing in building the facility and the city, we'll invest in the city too," said president Mike Broder.

Hoping to be part of this world for years to come.

Broder said last year , GalaxyCon brought in $8.5 million in revenue to Raleigh, and he's hoping to break that record after this weekend.