ST. GEORGE, Utah — A robotic crosswalk push-button sign says "Wait!" Good luck. St. George ain't waiting. This week, it's go time.
"Things have moved very fast here," said Sharon Wellsandt of St. George, as traffic passed swiftly behind her.
"Lotta traffic,: added Sharon's daughter, Christy Phillips. "But it's good to see people out enjoying restaurants and shops and things."
"Traffic will be horrible," mom chimed in.
Streets will be replaced by the milestone running of the 50th St. George Marathon.
"50th anniversary, which is pretty awesome. It's making a lot of people do the race that wouldn't normally do a marathon, but do it as the fiftieth year; this is my chance to do it," said Coleman Cragun, a marathon runner himself who also works at the local runners store.
The marathon isn't the only thing that has been the talk around town. Trail Hero off-roading and the PGA Bank Of Utah Championship at Black Desert Resort are also in the spotlight.
"I'll be at the course on Saturday; there's 20,000 people coming into this town from every state in the union and all over the country," said Elizabeth Dendy of St. George.
Planning to visit? Hotels around town are already at a premium.
"You're gonna pay a $150 a night or more if you get out towards the PGA," Dendy cautioned. "The only thing that's a little hard is the infrastructure isn't keeping up with it, and traffic can be a little crazy."
"Just to be a part of these events, the vibes are just super cool," Cragun added.
From the streets to the mountains and to the first tee, all eyes are on southern Utah in the days ahead, and regular visitor Scott Williams of Michigan perhaps summed it up best.
“Just enjoy the sights you see around you," he said. "You don’t see it anywhere else.”