Six Starke County organizations are getting a funding boost for upcoming events. The Starke County Convention and Visitors Commission says it’s awarded a total of $6,400 in its first round of quarterly grants.
The North Judson Mint Festival got $1,200 to bring in a magic show, puppet show, and Silly Safaris, while the San Pierre Parks and Recreation Society was awarded $1,200 for its Spirit of Summer Festival. A thousand dollars went to the Prairie Trails Club to host a fall walk, run, or ride. The Koontz Lake Association plans to promote local events and activities with its $1,000 grant, and the Starke County Fair Board and Yellowstone Trail Festival also each got a $1,000 boost.
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That funding comes from Starke County’s innkeepers tax. CVC President Kathy Norem recently told the county commissioners that the group began the year with about $28,000. “We saw a huge increase in innkeeper tax moneys last summer, in the end of the second quarter into the third quarter and the fourth quarter,” Norem explained. “So I don’t know if that was a result of COVID and people trying to get away from the cities and out into the country, or if that’s what we’re going to be seeing going forward. I hope it’s what we’re going to be seeing going forward.”
In addition to offering grants, Norem said the CVC is also using its money to help local festival organizers advertise their events in a state festival guide.
