Let the games — and bustling business — begin.
Bars and restaurants around TD Garden welcomed crowds of out-of-town college basketball fans and their wallets this week, with the arena hosting March Madness games Thursday and Saturday. The NCAA men’s regional semifinals, known as the Sweet 16, were slated to start Thursday night with two games at the Garden: University of Connecticut vs. San Diego State University, and then Iowa State University vs. the University of Illinois.
Fans hitting the bars and streets around the Garden on Thursday were thrilled to be in town — and to spend their money celebrating their beloved teams.
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“We didn’t come all this way to sit high up and watch, like, ants play from, like, the nosebleeds,” said Stan Eagleson, 67, who traveled from southern Illinois. “I’ve been an Illinois fan since I was a kid.”
“It’s been 19 years since they’ve been to the Sweet 16,” added his companion, Kurt Peters, 57. “It’s a big deal.”
Eagleson and Peters said they anticipated spending between $2,000 to $3,000 each on their trips, including game tickets, food and drink, and hotel stays.
For businesses near the Garden, March Madness means energetic fans and crowds, a major money-making opportunity. In fact, March Madness will lead to an estimated $17.6 million of direct economic benefits for Greater Boston, according to the tourism organization Meet Boston.
And the group estimates Greater Boston will see about $24.6 million of projected economic ripple effects from things like businesses adding more worker shifts to meet higher demand.
This year is the first time Boston is hosting March Madness games since 2018, making it a special occasion, businesses said.
The Greatest Bar, a stone’s throw from the Garden, expects 500 people to come watch the games this week in its four-story venue, management said.
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“This time of year, not only is it good for business, but it’s a lot of fun too,” said co-owner Bill Fairweather.
Iowa State fan Cale Bernstein grabbed a beer at The Greatest Bar ahead of the games on Thursday; it was the Indianapolis resident’s first time in Boston. He had tickets to both Sweet 16 games and the next-round Elite Eight game TD Garden is hosting Saturday, which he said cost him a total of $2,000. He anticipated spending $4,000 to $5,000 on his trip.
“I really like our team this year,” said Bernstein, 41, an environmental engineer. “If we have a chance to make the Final Four, this is definitely it.”
For years, The Greatest Bar has promoted UConn sports and served as a home bar for the school’s fans in Boston.
“The UConn fans are so passionate,” said Fairweather. “They love their basketball. They’re proud of their program and their school.”
Another nearby venue, Big Night Live, also celebrates UConn sports. Big Night Live planned to host a pre-party and pep rally for UConn before Thursday’s game; UConn’s alumni association told the venue to anticipate 500 to 1,000 guests, said the bar’s director of operations, Matt Allen.
“It’s going to be a party atmosphere,” he said. “There’s just going to be a lot of people, even if they have tickets or not — they’re coming.”
When the Garden hosts major events, Allen said, that means lots of sales.
“It helps everybody in the neighborhood,” said Allen. “We all kind of live and die by the Boston Garden.”
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Down the street, Tavern in the Square positioned itself as a hub for all four teams playing in Boston, with its 25 TVs around the restaurant and 100-inch flat screen TV in the bar.
“March Madness is perfect because any which way you look, there’s a different game on,” said Sal Gesamondo, the operational leader of that venue.
Hurricane’s and Harp, two other bars near TD Garden, planned to host watch parties for alumni of Illinois and San Diego State, respectively. Both businesses planned to decorate their TVs with the schools’ logos.
“TD Garden doesn’t often host March Madness games,” said Michelle Giuffrida, director of marketing for the Briar Group, which oversees Hurricane’s and Harp. “I’m sure everybody will want to take advantage and be able to look back and say, ‘I was there.’”
“This is our bread and butter,” she added.
As the games approached, fans were excited. Bill Smith, an Iowa State fan who traveled from Wisconsin for the games, said he couldn’t wait to experience March Madness here.
“Boston is awesome,” said Smith, a construction worker, hanging with his friends while they drank beers at The Greatest Bar.
“Sports people will go to wherever all the sports people are,” he added. “It doesn’t matter where you’re from; it’s just, we’re having a good time.”
Esha Walia can be reached at esha.walia@globe.com.