Area restaurants experience longer wait times from True/False Film Fest

Watch a replay of the March March parade in the player above.

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The True/False Film Fest brings thousands of documentary film fans to Downtown Columbia every March. Fans have the opportunity to watch 33 new feature films and 25 new short films along with art events and music. 

Events got started Thursday, but the big public reveal -- the March March through Downtown Columbia happened Friday. The parade featured things including live music, festival goers dressed in costumes and videographers and photographers dispersed throughout the crowd.

While fans flocked to the Columbia area for this opportunity to indulge in films, many businesses reaped the benefits from the larger crowds.

Michael Weston, manager of Flat Branch Pub & Brewing, said the restaurant has been busy since the beginning of the week.

"Business has been very good. We've noticed, you know, some of our longer wait times have gotten a little bit longer," Weston said. "Not just yesterday, but it seems like people have been trickling in all week long."

Weston has been the manager of Flat Branch for 25 years, and recalls how much good the festival did for local businesses, such as Flat Branch.

"The True/False Film Festival has always been a major asset for Columbia," Weston said. "It's awesome for the town, it's awesome for the city, it's awesome for the businesses."

Weston also said this year's festival has given businesses -- such as the one he manages -- a glimpse back into the way things were during the festival before the pandemic. The festival saw an attendance hit in 2020, was held outdoors at Stephens Lake Park in 2021 and started utilizing its regular venues Downtown last year.

"And this year we're kind of looking back to where we were before COVID," Weston said.

The festival will conclude Sunday.