October promises ‘must see’ events
One week ago everyone in the office was taking a long and deep breath after a successful visit from Governor Asa Hutchinson, where he announced a $5 million investment in El Dorado Festivals & Events. The funds are a direct result a years of hard work to create a creditable and logical plan to create an economic development plan that will attract and retain new investment in the city. I could not be more proud than to have been a small part of this process in my home town.
I hope that you were able to join me in the event, and if you were not, be sure not to miss the next one. The barbecue was delicious, the bands were popping and the ceremony and speeches were exciting. However, my favorite comment was, “This place is HUGE!”
Until you have been inside the new music hall, it’s very difficult to understand the true scale of the building. With over 2,500 seats and more than 3,000 standing, this is going to be one of the largest concert venues in more than 200 miles. Combine that with the outdoor amphitheater for more than 7,000 attendees and we are going to have some amazing crowds in the downtown core.
If you had asked me 20 years ago where I would be living, the last place I would have listed would be El Dorado, AR. Having grown up here, I never saw myself returning. I know that many of you have heard that same utterance from some of your recent graduates of both high school and college. I believe that tapping that adventure vein is something that lives deep within many of us, and as a young adult, moving far far away seems like one of the best ways to scratch the itch.
I certainly scratched away. Upon moving back I spent a lovely evening with my wife counting the number of different places we had lived over the previous 15 years. We came up with 16.
That’s a lot cardboard boxes.
Besides my obvious large investment in the moving industry, I also bought stock in all the wonderful neighborhoods, large cities, small towns, events and performances that I participated in and attended around the country. It is amazing how different our country is when you travel it from coast to coast, and the variety of positive and resourceful people that can be found making life better for those around them through unique cultural experiences.
As we ramp up our schedule of events, we are sure to book an event that will fit in your sweet spot of “must see” performers or events. Next week marks quite likely, (no promises) the last event we will produce for the year. If you are a fan of pop culture or Halloween, I hope you will join us at the El Dorado Conference Center for Southern Gothicon, with events for adults and children. In coordination with the South Arkansas Arts Centers performance of Frankenstein, Campfire El Dorado’s #ELDOHAUNT, and United Way’s WeinerPawLooza, this should be one of the best Halloween’s in El Dorado ever.