CINCINNATI — We're just days away from a pair of Taylor Swift concerts taking over Cincinnati, and not only are Swifties excited for this weekend, but so are downtown businesses as they prepare for the incoming traffic. 

 What You Need To Know
  •   Cincinnati is preparing for the pair of Taylor Swift concerts this weekend  

  •   There are festivities planned throughout the week to lead up to the big events  

  •   Traffic is expected to bring in nearly $92 million to the local economy  

  •   Gates at Paycor Stadium will open at 4:30 p.m. on both Friday and Saturday
Downtown Cincinnati and the Banks are expected to be busy this weekend as Taylor Swift fans take over the area, and Visit Cincy President and CEO Julie Calvert anticipates it giving a major boost to the local economy. 

"This is the week that we've all been waiting for with tens of thousands of Swifties will descend upon our city and our region in spending $92 million while they're here in Cincinnati," said Calvert. 

Festivities will begin on the Banks as early as Thursday. There will be a merch trailer and a "Tay-Gate" that will kick off the concert series on both Friday and Saturday.

"We're the only city in all of Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky to host this incredible event," she said. "Our downtown hotels are sold out and have been for months now in our restaurants, ready to serve the thousands of fans who enjoy the Taylor Swift concert."

But with all the incoming traffic the city is on high alert. Mayor Aftab Pureval said the Cincinnati Police Department will be working overtime to make sure people are safe this weekend. 

"We are expanding our our patrols specifically our police officers who are on bicycles to again, make sure that they have mobility, have visibility, and can respond to things very, very quickly," said Pureval. 

He encourages you to plan your time out efficiently to avoid the traffic. That's especially the case if you're driving downtown. 

"Whether it's the Swiftinnati Festival or the Tay-Gate, whether it's all the fantastic local businesses, restaurants and bars that we have here, come down early, come down early afternoon, avoid the traffic, and celebrate Cincinnati," he said. "And that'll be the easiest way to ensure that people can get downtown quickly and safely."

And if you decide to use Uber or Lyft, you're asked to plan your drop offs and pick ups as little further from the festivities. 

"If you're trying to get a ride share before or after the events, I would highly encourage you to try and just walk a few blocks north into the city to try and disperse some of the ride share activity so that we don't have to your point, a choke point on Second Street," he said. 

Pureval overall asks that everyone plays it safe as they venture out this weekend to have fun. 

"Please be responsible," he said. "Please be aware. Take every precaution that you can. Our downtown area is safe, but it will help us if you lock your car and be aware of your surroundings."

Gates at Paycor Stadium will open at 4:30 p.m. on both Friday and Saturday. The concerts start at 6:30. The start of the Reds game that night got moved up by two hours. It will now begin just after 5 p.m.