The Festus Tourism Commission has agreed to help fund two new events for next year – a Mardi Gras celebration and a pop-up “snow bomb” activity.
The commission awarded a grant for each of those two events as part of its latest round of grant-giving.
In that latest round on Nov. 25, the commission awarded 13 grants totaling $216,662.49.
As usual, most of the grant money went to established events, like Twin City Days, but requester Luke Tetrault of Taytro’s Bar and Bistro in Festus received a $7,500 grant to help with a Mardi Gras parade and related activities.
The commission also awarded a $2,650 grant to Barb Lowry, the Festus recreation and tourism director, for the snow bomb event.
Mardi Gras
Pat Parson, the commission chair, said Tetrault had previously brought up the idea of a Mardi Gras, but this year presented a more fleshed-out plan to the commission and received a grant to help fund it.
“The grant is for a parade and other things,” Parson said. “(A Mardi Gras celebration) is something we need. We don’t have much going on that time of year. We think it’s something that will attract people.”
Tetrault, a member of the family that owns Taytro’s, said the Mardi Gras celebration will be March 1, 2025.
“We’ve been throwing a Mardi Gras celebration at Taytro’s since 2011,” he said. “Now, with the support of (the commission), we are able to expand our efforts for a communal celebration. This parade is something families that may not necessarily be able to participate in the evening events can take their kids to during the day.”
Tetrault said he plans to offer shuttle buses to transport people from designated parking areas and hotels to the Mardi Gras activities along Main Street and at Taytro’s.
He said details of the Mardi Gras events are still to be announced.
“We will have a map and itinerary detailing events out soon,” Tetrault said. “Visit us on Taytro’s Facebook for more details. Look for a web page coming soon.”
Snow bomb
Lowry, who received the lion’s share of the commission’s latest grants, said the snow bomb event would offer a chance for sledding and other fun winter activities.
“There’s a company called Snow Bomb Me out of the Washington area that can create snow,” Lowry said. “They can come and create an event. If the temperatures cooperate, the snow will stick around.”
She said since the manufactured snow relies on cold temperatures below 25 degrees, the Festus snow bomb will be a “pop-up” event at some point in January or February 2025 when the weather permits.
“We need (below 25 degree temperatures) on a Wednesday-Thursday so we can have the event on a Friday-Saturday,” she said.
Lowry said park officials are seeking a good site for Snow Bomb Me to create the artificial snow.
“It will be at a park to be determined,” she said. “You want to have a hill, a landing area and a water supply.”
Other grants
One other grant was awarded for a new project – $2,040 to Lowry to advertise in a community profile publication to be produced and distributed at hotels, restaurants and other places promoting Festus.
The Leader will produce the publication for the Twin City Area Chamber of Commerce.
Kayla Rhineberger of the Leader advertising sales staff said the publication should be chock-full of information about the community.
“It will have information about the community, promoting local features,” she said. “It will come out in March (2025).”
Parsons said all the other grants were for events or projects that have been held in the past.
“These are events that have proven popular,” she said.
The other four commission members are Mike Cage, Rick Fischer, Jeff Adams and Rhonda Gerstner.
The rest of the grants awarded at the meeting were:
■ $58,000 to Kirk Mooney on behalf of the Twin City Area Chamber of Commerce for Twin City Days 2025.
■ $49,100 to Lowry for the WinterFest 2025 festival; $2,650 to Lowry for Movies in the Park 2025; $1,050 to Lowry for Camp Crites.
■ $25,000 to Denny Foster for the Main & Mill StreetFest 2025.
■ $17,500 to Vince Borgmann for the Mead on Main Sigurblot.
■ $12,500 to Andy Held on behalf of the Jefferson County Growth Association 2025 Bottleneck Bridge Ride.
■ $10,422.49 to Justin Lenhard for the Lenhard Family Christmas Light Show.
■ $10,000 to Ray Marler on behalf of Federated Auto Parts Raceway for the Ironman 55 “World of Outlaws” event.
■ $7,500 to Michelle Hohmeier on behalf of the Historic Tanglefoot Association for its Art Walk.
■ $5,500 to Matt Jones for the Relaxin in the Park car show.
■ $5,000 to Courtney Wisely for Spotlight Community Theatre’s production of the “Shrek Jr.” musical.
■ $250 to Ray Holbrook on behalf of Live Stream STL Media for Christmas Parade sponsorship.
All the grants work on a reimbursement system, so if a grant winner does not spend the full amount of its grant, the money stays with the commission.
The commission funds its grants with revenue from the city’s 5-percent hotel-motel tax.