Cal Poly San Luis Obispo commencement ceremonies are set to take place over two days this weekend, bringing an influx of visitors and increased traffic to the area.
Visitors from across the country say planning ahead was essential to securing accommodations.
Conor York, brother of a Cal Poly graduate, said finding a hotel was a challenge.
“It was tough to find any hotels, you have to book it months in advance,” York said. “We could have done it earlier.”
The Ridder family said the experience taught them to plan even further ahead.
” With the first graduate, we waited eight months, and that was just too late,” said the family. “This time we did a year in advance.”
The surge in visitors is also bringing more business to local restaurants. Josh Ring, visiting from Portland, Oregon, said his group made dining reservations a year out.
“We actually booked our dining choices for our group of 16 a year in advance,” Ring said.
Roads, including California Boulevard, will be closed during the ceremonies. The City of San Luis Obispo is advising locals to avoid the area around Cal Poly on both days between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. to reduce congestion.
For visitors seeking on-campus parking, the city is encouraging alternatives such as Uber, Lyft, carpooling, or public transportation.
For more information about closed roads and parking options, click HERE.