Panel awards $56,620 in grants

Fayetteville events, groups get money

FAYETTEVILLE — A spring event that combines bicycling with gobbling pastries from local bakeries earned the most financial support in the Advertising and Promotion Commission’s latest round of community investment grants.

The commission on Monday allocated $56,620 toward 11 events or organizations. The commission doles out grants twice yearly as a way to bolster events that pertain to its mission of promoting the city and tourism.

Half of the city’s 2 percent hotel, motel and restaurant sales tax goes to tourism. The other half goes to parks. The commission governs the city’s tourism bureau, Experience Fayetteville.

Breakaway Cycling Team received $8,500 for the Highway 71 Classic and Pastry Tour, planned for May 26. The event has existed in some form for 14 years, but this year was the first time rest stops were stocked with locally made pastries, according to the event’s website.

The Highway 71 Classic is the kind of event Experience Fayetteville wants to encourage, said Executive Director Molly Rawn. She said she attended a bicycle

tourism conference two weeks ago in San Antonio.

“Everyone that I talk to talks about the great roads in Fayetteville and how awesome it is to ride here,” Rawn said. “So I think it’s important that we support events that are also trying to support that message.”

Rawn also told commissioners she plans to create a new position at the organization for a cycling coordinator.

“We are asked to do more and more cycling events,” she said.

The Fayetteville Yoga Fest and Wizard Way of the Ozarks, a wizard fan convention, both received grants of $7,500.

Notable organizations that did not receive funding this round included the Walton Arts Center and Theatre Squared, which both requested $15,000. Commissioner Adella Gray questioned Rawn about the denial of those grants.

“I just see those two entities as such strong tourism draws for our city,” Gray said.

Theatre Squared’s request had to do with a marketing campaign Experience Fayetteville feels it is already doing, Rawn said. The Walton Arts Center’s request was for its Voice Jam A Cappella Festival, which has existed for five years and annually draws about 4,200 people, she said.

Experience Fayetteville would rather put its money into something new that needs support to grow, Rawn said.

“We weren’t looking at how we feel about Walton Arts Center as a whole, or even how we feel about that event, because it’s a great, successful event. But it is one that is well funded,” Rawn said.

The commission allocated $115,100 in the last round of grants in April. A year ago, 13 entities received $64,500.