With the economy in a slump, promoting tourism is more important than ever for our state in general and our parish in particular.
Once again members of the Morehouse Tourism Commission met Tuesday to award tourism grants locally. A variety of projects were supported by the commission, each with its own unique merit that will promote Morehouse Parish during the year.
The purpose of the Bastrop Retail Association’s project will promote Bastrop as a shopping destination through several annual Shop Bastrop campaign events:
Holiday Open House to be held Nov. 12 and Sip n See planned for December. Funding provided by the grant will be spent on television, radio, direct mail and print advertising campaigns.
Holiday Open House is the largest shopping event held in Bastrop each year, setting the tone for the holiday selling season. The event markets Bastrop as a retail shopping hub to surrounding communities, increasing tourism in the parish and increasing revenue through sales tax collection.
Friends of Bastrop Main Street will use its grant funding toward several important events: Veteran’s Day Memorial will be held Nov. 11; Movie Night, a family event, is set for Nov. 23 and Hometown Christmas will be held Dec. 17.
Replacement of a popcorn machine is also on the list of grant fund expenditures. The organization allows other organizations to use their machine for public functions such as the farmers market.
First time applicant, Friends of the MAC, requested funding to be used to host a grand opening for the Morehouse Activity Center. The center is expected to be completed by the end of August, first of September. The facility consists of a large covered area with adjoining building for horse stalls and cattle pens.
Making it ideal for events such as rodeos, barrel runs, team roping and penning, horse shows and cattle exhibits but can also be used for arts and crafts exhibits, circuses, musical productions, and more. Because the construction of the MAC has been a long time coming having started over six years ago, Friends of the MAC determined a grand opening was appropriate. The three day planned events will include a ribbon cutting with state and local government officials, food events for the public, various animal displays, musical performances, equine demonstrations, bull riding competitions and Cowboy Church services.
So much a part of Morehouse Parish for many years, the North Louisiana Cotton Festival and Fair requested grant funding to assist with the continuance of an event that is an institution in Morehouse Parish. The festival began as a project allowing 4-H clubs, homemakers, farmers and others to compete and show off their skills. This continues today with improvements added annually.
This year’s fair will be held Oct. 20-24.
A newer tourist draw for the parish is The Pandemonia Foundations/ Starr Homeplace in Oak Ridge. The project for which grant funding was requested is for promotion of Starr Homeplace as a tourism destination, operating as a museum and an event venue. The organization’s prime purpose is promoting the development of the creative economy in Northeast Louisiana.
The Rose Theatre/ Cotton Country Players applied for a tourism grant to be used to continue to enrich the community through its commitment to nurture creativity and collaboration among the area youth, to inspire and challenge artists and audiences and to explore the culture through the art of the theater.
Among events planned will be Dinner Theatre for two nights in October featuring an interactive production where the audience solves the mystery while enjoying a meal. Yu Wei, a choreographer and dancer from China, will perform Nov. 7. She has performed throughout the U.S., including New York’s Manhattan Center and he John F. Kennedy Center in Washington D.C.
“We 3 Friends,“ three local talents, will be featured Dec. 5 as part of the annual Christmas Presentation. January 8 Bill Oberst will perform at the theatre but he will also visit area schools Jan. 7 as an educational study allowing students to interact with Oberst personally. Oberst is an American actor known for an unsettling screen presence.
Snyder Museum and Creative Arts Center will use its grant funding to create an outside exhibit area in the existing Carriage House. The Snyder Board is refocusing the direction of the museum to spotlight local history, individual’s achievements and growth of Morehouse Parish businesses. The refocus on local history, farming and rural live will be featured in the Carriage House. The museum’s collection consists of early area artifacts that will be used to tell the story of life in Morehouse Parish at the turn of the century.
Dorothy Ford, Executive Director for Bastrop-Morehouse Chamber of Commerce, will notify each organization detailing their grant awards.
