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Nine local applicants were awarded grant funds by the Morehouse Parish Tourism Commission to assist with various projects Thursday.
Twice a year tourism grants are given to applicants within the parish by the Tourism Commission. The grant program is intended to assist with funding for eligible organizations proposing projects that provide for the development and enhancement of tourism in Morehouse Parish. Generally, the events include, but are not limited to, the support for historic preservation, sports and other special occurrences including the arts and humanities.
All funding decisions are made with consideration of the best interest of Morehouse Parish and must provide for the growth of tourism, show a speedy return on the investment, and in essence, improve the overall quality of life for the citizens of Morehouse Parish.
Friends of Main Street Visitor Center requested funding to sponsor continuous activities geared to bring the community together and into the downtown area. The center has networked with the public library, Rose Theatre and Snyder Museum. Last year the Estes pictorial documentary on historic Hwy. 80 drew people from Monroe, Collinston and Oak Ridge. The Red Hatter’s Convention in May will bring about 150 visitors to the parish.
Other special programs include Honoring Our Veterans, Hometown Christmas 2010, Travel and Adventure Films, Classic Films, Kid’s Movie Night and Summer Adventures for Children.
Sponsored by the North Louisiana Cotton Festival and Fair Inc., the annual Crawfest established in 1999, is responsible for bringing many visitors into the parish. Additionally, Crawfest 2010 will give local folks a springtime event without leaving Bastrop. When parish residents stay home, this is a boost for the local economy equal to welcoming out-of-town visitors.
Although someone might question what Morehouse Beautification Inc. DBA Keep Morehouse Beautiful has to do with tourism, the answer is simple. Keeping Morehouse Beautiful is the foundation of all other tourist related projects. Nobody wants to visit a place that is dirty. Keeping Morehouse clean and litter free is vital to the success of keeping Morehouse a place worth visiting.
Relatively new to the parish, the Pandemonia Foundation, DBA Starr Homeplace, is a heritage museum consisting of 19 buildings full of tools, artifacts and materials with the goal of preserving and showcasing these artifacts and the architecture associated with the agricultural heritage of northeastern Louisiana. The primary tool for this effort are the “Community Day” events featured during the spring and summer months. Community Days allows visitors to explore an array of creative pursuits, to meet and network.
Nine local applicants were awarded grant funds by the Morehouse Parish Tourism Commission to assist with various projects Thursday.
Twice a year tourism grants are given to applicants within the parish by the Tourism Commission. The grant program is intended to assist with funding for eligible organizations proposing projects that provide for the development and enhancement of tourism in Morehouse Parish. Generally, the events include, but are not limited to, the support for historic preservation, sports and other special occurrences including the arts and humanities.
All funding decisions are made with consideration of the best interest of Morehouse Parish and must provide for the growth of tourism, show a speedy return on the investment, and in essence, improve the overall quality of life for the citizens of Morehouse Parish.
Friends of Main Street Visitor Center requested funding to sponsor continuous activities geared to bring the community together and into the downtown area. The center has networked with the public library, Rose Theatre and Snyder Museum. Last year the Estes pictorial documentary on historic Hwy. 80 drew people from Monroe, Collinston and Oak Ridge. The Red Hatter’s Convention in May will bring about 150 visitors to the parish.
Other special programs include Honoring Our Veterans, Hometown Christmas 2010, Travel and Adventure Films, Classic Films, Kid’s Movie Night and Summer Adventures for Children.
Sponsored by the North Louisiana Cotton Festival and Fair Inc., the annual Crawfest established in 1999, is responsible for bringing many visitors into the parish. Additionally, Crawfest 2010 will give local folks a springtime event without leaving Bastrop. When parish residents stay home, this is a boost for the local economy equal to welcoming out-of-town visitors.
Although someone might question what Morehouse Beautification Inc. DBA Keep Morehouse Beautiful has to do with tourism, the answer is simple. Keeping Morehouse Beautiful is the foundation of all other tourist related projects. Nobody wants to visit a place that is dirty. Keeping Morehouse clean and litter free is vital to the success of keeping Morehouse a place worth visiting.
Relatively new to the parish, the Pandemonia Foundation, DBA Starr Homeplace, is a heritage museum consisting of 19 buildings full of tools, artifacts and materials with the goal of preserving and showcasing these artifacts and the architecture associated with the agricultural heritage of northeastern Louisiana. The primary tool for this effort are the “Community Day” events featured during the spring and summer months. Community Days allows visitors to explore an array of creative pursuits, to meet and network.
St. Mary Community Development Organization is working on its ninth reunion. They have had one every five years since its inception with a goal of making and keeping attendees and local citizens aware of the legacy of this great institution founded in 1916. Known as Morehouse Parish Training School, later becoming Morehouse High School, it continued to develop and progress until its dissolution in 1969.
The Morehouse School Reunion is a four day event with all of the activities held in the city of Bastrop. This year it will be held July 1-4 and will include an opening night and social event, a picnic, dance and banquet with religious services on the last day. At the time of the grant request, 225 out-of-town people were already registered.
“Banners on the Boulevard” is the project Mer Rouge Landscaping and Beautification Association submitted. The banners will represent specifics. There will be an Historical Downtown and an Our Town banner; a Welcome Train banner signifying the train that runs through the village; one with ice cream in honor of the delicious ice cream Mer Rouge is known for; a Fish representing the good fishing available; paying tribute to farmers are the banners featuring a watermelon, cotton, beehives, sunflowers and the sun; the Statue of Liberty is in honor of local Veterans; fall geese is representative of northeast Louisiana being within the Canada geese flyway and there is a banner picturing an eagle.
The Bastrop Retail Association works together for the betterment of the economy of Morehouse Parish by promoting Bastrop as a tourist shopping destination. Projects include Shop Bastrop, Fourth of July Firecracker Sale, Bridal Showcase and Merchant Bingo.
The Snyder Museum and Creative Arts Center is refocusing its direction to spotlight the history of the parish, achievements of individuals, growth of business and the part Morehouse Parish plays in the rich history of Louisiana. A permanent exhibit to facilitate continuing rotating exhibits titled the “Timeline Exhibit,” will focus on outstanding individuals of the parish.
Musical programs presented at the Rose Theatre successfully attract audiences from a five-parish rural area in northeast Louisiana, providing arts programming to an underserved region. It is the plan to continue to find community partners, build coalitions, produce and present creative projects in the parish, as it has for the past 24 seasons.
The deadline to submit the next grant applications is July 10. Grant applications can be obtained from the Morehouse Tourism Commission, 110 North Franklin St., or call 281.3794.
