The Alva Tourism Committee faced a daunting agenda Wednesday with seven events requesting tourism tax funds. Present for the meeting were Chairman Melinda Barton and members Sadie Bier, Angelica Brady and Scott Kline. Terri Parsons was absent.
The committee was able to hear presentations on six of the events, but one was tabled. No one was present to speak on behalf of the Nescatunga Golf Tournament.
NWOSU Football Golf Tournament
Northwestern Head Football Coach Ronnie Jones spoke on behalf of football’s golf tournament. The two-day event begins with a hog roast and auction on Friday, May 31, with the golf tournament on Saturday. He said roughly 250 people are expected to participate and many bring their families, staying in motels.
Committee members voted to approve the $5,000 request for the event. The money is designated for the expense of 40 golf carts and BSN/Nike apparel.
NWOSU Summer Baseball Tournament
Northwestern Head Baseball Coach Ryan Bowen presented a request for $3,600 on behalf of the summer baseball tournament. This will be the fifth year for the event which is set for June 20-23. He said most of the teams will be from out of town and staying at hotels. They come from Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas and Colorado. About 350-400 people are expected to attend each day.
Committee members voted to approve the $3,600 grant which will go toward paying officials for the tournament.
Alva’s Crazy Cool Boulevard Cruise
The R.A.C.E. club will be sponsoring the Crazy Cool Boulevard Cruise on Saturday, July 20, to coincide with the retail Crazy Days event. The cruise will begin at 8 p.m. and go to 10:30 p.m. A swap meet will be held downtown from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. before the cruise. William Theademan and Norville Ritter appeared on behalf of R.A.C.E. to request $3,700 for entertainment and advertising. This is the eighth year for the event. Three bands have been booked. They estimate about 2,500 people gather along Oklahoma Boulevard for the cruise.
Ritter said next year, an all school reunion is being planned, and there’s discussion about timing it to include the cruise.
The $3,700 request was approved unanimously.
Big Cruise and Car Show
Joe Phillips and Theademan spoke on behalf of R.A.C.E. for the Big Cruise and Car Show. This will be the 23rd year for the event. Phillips said they’re asking for about 10 percent more than last year for a total of $32,400. He pointed out the motels are full for the event. There are 12 food trucks coming.
The committee approved funds up to $32,400 for the event which is planned for Sept. 20-22. The money will be used for expenses like advertising and brochures, music and sound, sanitation, prizes and drawings, trophies and dash plaques, travel incentives, entertainment, building rental, supplies and postage, youth activities and insurance.
Northwest Oklahoma Youth Winter Rodeo
Shawna Cook, on behalf of the Northwest Oklahoma Youth Rodeo Association, talked about an event set for April 12-13 at the NWOSU practice facility north of Alva. She said this is a new organization formed last year to give youth the chance to participate in events closer to home. Youngsters up to age 19 enter rodeos in a winter long series for prizes. All proceeds go to pay out the year end awards. They have an average of 80 contestants for each event, and most come with their families.
Cook said they have 20 high school seniors who are planning to be at NWOSU for college rodeo day. Those competing come from Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas. The group requested $3,500 to pay the stock charge for the event. The tourism committee members voted to approve the requested funds.
Nescatunga Arts Festival and Sugar Show
Erin Davis and April Ridgway appeared on behalf of the Nescatunga Arts Festival and Sugar Show. The arts festival has been celebrated in Alva for over 50 years. Previously held on the downtown square, the event was moved to the campus of NWOSU last year. This year the event is planned for the Alva Recreation Complex (ARC) on May 31 and June 1.
Davis explained that financial constraints were a major cause of the move from downtown. Holding the event there requires insurance which cost $2,800 in 2019. She expects it would be around $3,000 now, and the Nescatunga Arts and Humanities Council does not have the money to pay that up front. At the ARC, insurance is already covered by the city.
Davis also gave the committee members the results of a survey of those who rented booth space at the event last year. She said exhibitors prefer to be indoors where they aren’t subjected to various weather conditions. She said they also want access to wifi which is available at the ARC.
The recreation complex offers plenty of parking and is handicap accessible. There is room for a stage for performers and a changing room. A hospitality room for exhibitors is also planned. The ARC will also accommodate more exhibitors. Those who prefer may set up outdoors. Davis said a softball tournament will be going on that weekend at the ARC so those family can tour the exhibits.
Ridgway talked about the Sugar Show portion of the event. She said they will be doing two different shows. Friday evening will be pies, breads, etc. for bake, make and take. On Saturday, they will have the fancy decorated cakes and cookies. Some workshops are being planned downtown on First Friday Art Walk dates. A fondant workshop is planned for March 1 at the Runnymede.
Barton said she had a lot of downtown merchants approach her last year about the move away from the square. Many supported the event for a long time on the square and now it is gone. Davis said she was aware of those complaints, but “not a single person came up with an idea how to make it work.”
The committee voted unanimously to approve the $15,500 request for the event.
Other Business
After a report from City Business Manager Stephen Ford, the committee approved financial reports from October, November, December and January.
The Alva Chamber of Commerce presented a report on how funds from tourism tax are being used by their organization.
A video of the entire meeting may be viewed at http://www.AlvaReviewCourier.com by clicking on the Videos tab.
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