Grant Co. awards tourism funding

EPHRATA — The Grant County Lodging Tax Advisory Committee awarded just less than $1.6 million in grants at its Oct. 25 meeting at the Grant County Courthouse in Ephrata. The funding, derived from the county’s overnight lodging tax, is intended to boost tourism in Grant County.

“Without tourism funding from the LTAC, there would be no way we could bring the caliber of entertainment we have in the past five years,” said Grant County Fairgrounds Director Jim McKiernan. “We’ve slowly increased the entertainment with bigger names, and we would have struggled to bring anyone to town without the support of the LTAC.” 

The committee considered a total of 40 applications, some of which came from organizations seeking to fund multiple events. The LTAC’s recommendations then went to the county commissioners for their approval. While not every request was approved, each organization received at least some funding. Committee members included representatives from MarDon Resort, Sun Lakes Resort, Microtel Inn & Suites, Ephrata Chamber of Commerce, Moses Lake Spring Festival and the Quincy Valley Historical Society & Museum. 

Funding requests were reviewed and revised by the LTAC Committee and subsequently sent on and approved by the Grant County Board of Commissioners.

The Gorge

Grant County Public Works submitted a $600,000 grant request to widen West Baseline Road along a one-mile stretch near the Gorge Amphitheatre. The project also includes building solar-powered, overhead signage that can be reprogrammed in real time to avoid severe congestion such as occurred in September when two concerts were scheduled within a day of each other. The congestion was made worse by increased security measures in response to the fatal shooting in June.

Revenue generated from the Gorge events remains the single largest source for lodging tax revenue distributed by the LTAC Committee, according to county records. The $600,000 amount granted comprised about 38.6% of grants awarded, with Grant County Tourism coming in at second-highest with a $450,000 award, or about 29% of the total money approved this year.

Fair play

The Grant County Fairgrounds submitted three requests for grant money to support major tourist-drawing events. Fairgrounds Director Jim McKiernan specifically expressed his gratitude for the LTAC’s support of the Moravida Festival in October, inspired by the traditional Dia de los Muertos celebration of Hispanic ancestors. With 43.6% of residents identifying as Hispanic or Latino in Grant County, events such as these drive engagement with a relatively underserved population, McKiernan said.

McKiernan has previously indicated that he and his staff are working to improve the quality of entertainment events, not only Moravida but also events such as Flannelfest — a 1990s-inspired concert — and the Grant County Fair itself.

Most grant requests came from smaller groups, events, or communities within Grant County. Hot Desert Nights is mostly funded through sponsorships by local businesses, according to Josh Seanard, president of the Mattawa/Desert Aire Lions Club, which organizes the event. Hot Desert Nights includes a golf tournament, a car show and a live band, as well as raffles for items donated by community members. All the money raised by the club goes back into the community, with around $15,000 going toward college scholarships in 2023. The annual event is usually scheduled for early August.

“This is our community give-back event to bring the community together,” said Seanard. “The event is a huge tourist draw for this community specifically. We have over 31 short-term rentals that are booked out that week – it’s a big weekend for the rentals here. We don’t have a hotel here currently, so our short-term rentals benefit as does the lodging tax fund so we can pay it forward for next year’s LTAC review.”

In accordance with state law, the LTAC consists of seven members including three from businesses that collect the tax and three from groups that receive the grants. Commissioner Rob Jones chairs the committee. 

“A big thank you to our county’s lodging tax rate payers, the Lodging Tax Advisory Committee, and our outstanding applicants that were involved with a remarkable 2023 LTAC process. All organizations received a portion of requested funding, there were some exciting new events unveiled, and an important Gorge area capital project was funded,” said Jones. 

Interested in applying?

LTAC Committee members ask that any funding requests include the most accurate information possible regarding overnight lodging utilization and attendance numbers for events LTAC funds are requested for. That includes information regarding the impact the event has on the community and the expected contribution back to Grant County’s LTAC balance. Funding is awarded annually and those interested in applying are encouraged to begin gathering the appropriate information for their applications early.

More information about the application process, funding and the LTAC can be found on the Grant County LTAC website https://bit.ly/GCOLTAC

Summary of LTAC awards – Grant Co.

Applicant                    Project            Grant Awarded

Grant Co. Pub. Works            Gorge road widening        $600,000

Grant Co. Tourism            Year-Round Promotion    $450,000

Grant Co. Fairgrounds        Grant County Fair        $80,000

Moses Lake Spring Fest        2024 Spring Festival        $50,000

Grant Co. LTAC            Year-Round Promotion    $36,000

Ephrata Chamber of Com.        Year-Round Promotion    $30,000

Grand Coulee Dam Area Chamber    Year-Round Promotion    $30,000

Moses Lake Chamber            Year-Round Promotion    $30,000

Col. Basin Rodeo Assn.        ML Roundup & Derby    $30,000

Grant Co. Fairgrounds        Moravida Festival        $25,000

Moses Lake Airshow            2024 event            $25,000

All others                Various            $169,000

Note: All figures rounded to the nearest $1,000.