The Fremont County Tourism Council will distribute $8,000 in community grants in 2016 to help promote events and festivals in Fremont County. The grants will be distributed to thirteen different organizations whose events are intended to attract more overnight visitors to the Royal Gorge region. The Tourism Council received 28 applications seeking promotional funding assistance. The grant recipients and their events include:
- Cañon City Recreation and Park District’s Royal Gorge Whitewater Festival ---$750
- City of Florence 4th of July Wet N’ Dry Parade---$500
- Florence Art Council’s Paint the Town---$750
- Florence Chamber of Commerce Pioneer Day & Junktique Craft Fair---$750
- Florence Community Project Office Barn Dance & Pie Auction---$450
- Florence Merchants Car Show---$750
- Florence Pioneer Museum’s Tour de Coal Towns---$300
- Fremont Adventure Recreation’s Bikes & Brews---$750
- Fremont Community Foundation’s Flashback on Main Street---$750
- Fremont County Heritage Commission’s Annual Heritage Festival---$750
- OSIA Royal Gorge Lodge’s Italian Festival---$500
- Penrose Chamber of Commerce Apple Day---$500
- Starpoint Foundation’s Run to the Rim 10K & 5K Races---$500
The money distributed comes from the two percent lodging tax collected from overnight stays at Fremont County motels, hotels, and campgrounds. Fremont County has already collected a record $173,000 in lodging tax revenues through October of 2015 with revenues still to be tallied for the final two months. The record lodging tax revenue is a reflection of the continued tourism recovery following the 2013 Royal Gorge wildfire. The previous peak year for lodging tax revenues was in 2007 with $162,000.
Tourism Council by-laws require that a minimum of five percent of lodging tax revenues be distributed annually to community groups to help them promote their events.