ST. LOUIS • Hotels nearly sold out. Sidewalks filled with fans. Parking lots bustling with tailgaters wearing black and gold — or orange and blue — with pride.

And one of downtown's biggest weekends was just getting started. Later Saturday afternoon, the music of the Big Muddy Blues Festival boomed from the riverfront, and will continue Sunday.

Labor Day weekend has been the traditional spot on the calendar for both the blues festival and the Arch Rivalry football series between Mizzou and Illinois. This year, the weekend also had the Cardinals taking on the Cincinnati Reds at Busch Stadium, making downtown a hot spot for sports and music fans alike.

Downtown St. Louis made the No. 3 spot on Priceline.com's annual list of top 50 Labor Day destinations. The list, which ranked the city 33rd last year, is based on booking requests on the site.

"It's a great weekend for the city," said Kitty Ratcliffe, president of the St. Louis Convention and Visitors Commission. "Many of those people are coming for one activity, but staying and doing other things."

Mark Hessel and Paul Fritsche combined the football and Cardinals games Saturday. They don't come downtown often but have enjoyed the Arch Rivalry games as Mizzou fans. The Cardinals game was a perk.

"It worked out well this year," said Hessel, 32, of St. Charles. "What I like about the football game is that it's here and you don't have to go all the way to Columbia. I wish it would continue."

Saturday's game was the last in the series.

"It's a shame because it draws a lot of people to each event," said Wayne Schmittling, 51, of Belleville, who was following the football game while sitting at the blues festival Saturday afternoon. A few years ago, he went to the Arch Rivalry game, a Cardinals game and the blues festival on the same day. "It's a great location, great place to party," he said.

Many of the Arch Rivalry fans usually end up at Laclede's Landing at some point because of its proximity to the Edward Jones Dome, so the series has been an added bonus for the festival for the last few years, said Emily Kochan, executive director of Laclede's Landing Merchants' Association. She estimates about 60,000 to 80,000 people come to the Landing for the blues festival during the weekend.

Bar and restaurant managers on Laclede's Landing say Mardi Gras is the only other weekend that has an impact like Labor Day weekend and the blues festival.

"This is the place to be," said Scott Josse, general manager of the Big Bang, which sets up extra tents outside to sell food and drinks.

Over at Morgan Street Brewery, the staff cannot take time off over the Labor Day weekend.

"It's all hands on deck," owner Steve Owings said. "It's always been a huge event, and Saturday got boosted with the football game. We're hoping we'll have great turnout again next year."

Ratcliffe, of the Convention and Visitors Commission, estimates that more than 100,000 nonresidents will come to the St. Louis area this weekend.

Besides the downtown events, the Gateway Cup bike race and the Japanese Festival at the Missouri Botanical Gardens draw out-of-town visitors, she said.

Among the out-of-towners were Michele and Randy Graham, of Joplin, Mo. Dressed in Cardinals attire, they listened to the Bottoms Up Blues Gang at the Landing before heading to Busch.

"We love both (the blues and the Cardinals)," said Michele Graham, 59. "We'll probably come back tonight after the game."