Meridian City Hall’s lawn was adorned with picket signs listing the names of different cities from the Mississippi coast to the foothills. Families and friends sported matching T-shirts to identify each themselves. There were too many lawn chairs to count.

Mississippians flocked to Meridian Friday to celebrate competition at the 28th State Games of Mississippi’s opening ceremony. Lauderdale County businesses, hotels and restaurants celebrated the resultant patronage.

The games are modeled after the Olympics. Amateur athletes compete for gold, silver and bronze medals in team and individual sports. This year there will be 6,000 players as well as their families trekking the state, said Bobbie Harmon, the marketing and development director for the State Games.

Players will compete in everything from baseball to a pumpkin run, giving many the chance to advance to the next level, she said.

“I know that with baseball in particular, there are scouts that come” looking for young talent, she said. “From there, they can get recruited to a college team.”

The opening ceremony saw athletes parade downtown, a torch ceremony and fireworks.

Youth soccer games will kick off in the Queen City this weekend.

One player will be Biloxi native Cade Blaine, 7, a midfielder for the U10 Golden Eagles.

“When I was a kid, I came,” said his father, David Blaine. “So I think it’ll be a great experience for him. We’ve got a total of four kids and he’s the oldest, so hopefully this can be a family thing.”

Pass Christian’s Alaya Brant said she looks forward to a shot at winning it all.

“Before, last year, we almost won, so I’m hoping we can this year,” she said.

“This is my first time at the State Games, and it’s a great start with the fireworks, the music and everything else,” said Coast Soccer Club Galaxy coach Jessica Maddox.

Local business and tourism leaders were ecstatic about the games and the economic surge they give the city.

At the Holiday Inn on Frontage Road, receptionists clad in State Games T-shirts prepared a table of cookies and lemonade for passersby.

“It’s either feast or famine out here,” said Terry Watkins, the corporate director of sales for Lala Enterprises, a hotel management company. Right now, it’s feast. That will be true in weeks to come also.

“We have group locks (on rooms) for specific teams, and probably 70 percent of our locks are for State Games,” she said. The hotel’s first job on Friday was collaborating with other hotels to find empty rooms for players, she said.

“We try to be creative and make sure everyone feels welcome,” she said. “We want our guests to stay with us every year, and we have some who’ve stayed with us five or six years.”

“We are always thankful when the State Games comes around,” said Dede Mogollon, executive director of Visit Meridian. “Hotels are busy, restaurants are busy. All of these people come back year after year for the games. And it’s exciting to know that every time they come back there’s a new restaurant or business to see.”

That was the case for Pass Christian native Darlene Kimbell, who said seeing the city’s restaurants and stores between games is one thing she’s looking forward to.

For Coast Soccer Club Galaxy player Ashton Hays, it all comes down to one thing at the end of the day.

“I’m looking forward to winning some games,” she said.