Racing started at Mount Panorama on Thursday with practice, but it was the Supercars drivers and supporters' parade that brought plenty of faces down from the track and into the heart of the city.

And they were keen to spend their cash at the Bathurst-owned businesses, with the earlier arrivals having already done so on Monday and Tuesday.

Any campers that may have forgot their fold-up chair or sleeping bag might've stopped by Aussie Disposals.

"A lot of people have been after camping equipment and cold weather gear too, particularly the Queenslanders," manager Ryan Harmer said.

"It's been busy in general, as it always has been, because you've got people coming from all over the country and from overseas, like New Zealand."

If any of the race fans wanted to stop for a coffee on Wedesday and still have a great view of the parade, Devine Gallery coffee shop would'e been the place to go.

"It was really crazy on Wednesday," Veronica Bergen said.

"We only took over at the start of the year and we've never experienced anything like this.

"Monday and Tuesday was busy, but it was nothing like Wednesday. The line was all the way back to Subway."

Ms Bergen said the race fans she's come across this week have been on their best behaviour.

"I know some of the race fans get a bad wrap but they were lovely," she said.

And while she said it can be hard to tell how busy it's going to be during the rest of Race Week, she expects plenty of customers on Saturday for the street fair in Kings Parade.

A common sight on most days - even in winter - is the line from Annie's Ice Cream Parlour queuing up onto the street.

That's been no different this week, with the line queuing up for hours on Wednesday.

"It was definitely busier than previous years," owner Lisa Pitts said, commenting on the crowd for Supercars drivers and supporters' parade.

"We had people here who didn't even know it was on. We were getting all different ages and groups at different times during the day."

Scott Macalister of the Knickerbocker Hotel said his staff were kept on their feet all day on wednesday.

"It was unreal before and after the parade," he said.

"It was bigger than previous years. I was on the balcony during it, which I do each year, and I noticed there was a lot more people around."

However, he said there's still accommodation available at the Knickerbocker and that there is even more venues around town that are in the same situation.

"Council have been putting a lot more campsites in town and Supercars are doing more up at the mountain, which is taking away business from in town," he said.

"Everyone in town is saying that everything is going up to the mountain. With the truck parade, we were smashed but it was a ghost town afterwards.

"I used to get two inquiries a week for accommodation, but I haven't received one in 12 months."

Festivities will continue with children rides and a variety of tasty treats at the Kings Parade street fair on Saturday from 9am to 4pm, as well as the Stories at the Mountain event at BMEC on Saturday at 8pm.

The Bathurst 1000 gets underway from Mount Panorama Racing Circuit from 11.30am.