FAYETTEVILLE -- The city commission trying to draw more tourism to Fayetteville awarded about $103,000 in taxpayer money Monday to 18 area organizations and events, including support for Oktoberfest, Terra Studios and the Walton Arts Center.
The seven Advertising and Promotion commissioners awarded the money after wading through 21 requests totaling more than $260,000. The commission decides twice a year how to share part of the money from the city's 2 percent hotel, motel and restaurant tax to help cover marketing and related costs for new, young or growing events that can draw more visitors to the area.
By the numbers
Fayetteville Advertising and Promotion grants
• Artist’s Laboratory Theatre’s Secret Life of Downtown Fayetteville: $7,500
• All Sports Production’s Fayetteville Half Marathon: $1,000
• Arts Live Theatre’s summer and fall 2016 season: $5,000
• Fall Square 2 Square Bike Ride: $2,000
• Fayetteville Film Fest: $7,600
• Fayetteville Firefighters’ Association Hero Half Marathon: $1,000
• Fayetteville Oldtime Music and Dance: $1,050
• Folk School of Fayetteville: $19,000
• Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers workshop: $600
• Natural State Burial Association’s Death Fest: $1,000
• NWA Creative Arts Network’s Last Night Fayetteville: $14,000
• NWA Creative Arts Network’s Last Saturday Fayetteville: $1,000
• Oktoberfest: $5,000
• Phat Tire Cycling Club’s Banded Suffering bike ride: $1,000
• Project Teacher NWA’s Game it Forward: $6,000
• Soldier ON Service Dogs’ Dickson Street Slide: $5,600
• Terra Studios: $11,634
• Walton Arts Center’s 2016 Holiday Programming Series: $13,500
Source: Fayetteville Advertising and Promotion Commission
The biggest award of $19,000 went to the Folk School of Fayetteville, a nonprofit group affiliated with the Roots Festival that's set to run for its seventh year in August. The Folk School was created to help broaden the festival beyond music with food and farming workshops, guest chefs and writers and other events, according to the group's application.
"They're not resting on their laurels -- they want to expand it," said commissioner Tim Freeman, president of United Hotel Management, echoing praise from other commissioners.
Other big awards included $14,000 for Last Night Fayetteville, the NWA Creative Arts Network's New Year's Eve celebration, and $13,500 to support the Walton Arts Center's 2016 holiday series. Another $11,634 went to Terra Studios, a gallery and park southeast of the city that's widely known for its glass bluebirds.
Terra Studios isn't in the city, but the place has a Fayetteville address, several city tours go to the attraction and its thousands of visitors generally use Fayetteville hotels and restaurants, the commissioners said. The money will pay for marketing the studio's expansion and draw more visitors, according to the application.
"We've created that connection to Fayetteville," said commissioner Hannah Withers, co-owner of Maxine's Tap Room. The commission's turned down requests before because they come from outside the city, she added, "but I think this might be an exception."
No money went to the Arkansas Forestry Association, a Little Rock nonprofit group requesting $7,500 for its next annual meeting at the Chancellor Hotel. Commissioners reasoned the group can support itself and taxpayer money won't help draw more people.
The commission also turned down the city government's request for $5,000 for the Keep Fayetteville Beautiful local art and anti-graffiti program, but commissioners said they still want to support it. They wanted any money they give to come from about $100,000 set aside in this year's budget to pay for local art chosen through a jury process.
"Make sure they understand that we really want them," said commission Chairman Matthew Petty, a City Council member for Ward 2.
Under commission policy, its City Council-appointed members must consider an event's potential to attract visitors or overnight guests, its economic impact, its potential for repeat business and return visitors, and whether it improves the city's hospitality and overall public image. Last year the commission gave out about $218,000.
The policy also states the commission's money should mostly be used as "seed money" and generally shouldn't be given to the same group for more than three years, though there are some exceptions. The Walton Arts Center has received almost $200,000 in the past 12 years, for example, according to commission data.
NW News on 05/17/2016