By Shannon Wright –
The Webster Parish Convention & Visitors Commission held its regular public meeting last week at the Springhill Civic Center, with commissioners looking ahead to a busy final quarter of the year.
Work continues on the commission’s new office, with logistics being worked out for everything from the remodel to phone service, internet and the security system. Staff is also working through the process of surplussing old equipment.
Louisiana Overland Adventure Trails (LOAT) has developed a Webster Parish Offroad Map that will launch on the tourism website next month. The trail through Webster Parish covers roughly 200 miles of off-road opportunities.
Two adventure motorcycle events are already scheduled for October. Both will begin in Springhill and travel throughout Webster Parish, including Minden.
The commission approved five $2000 advertising grants:
The Springhill Main Street for the Springhill Christmas Wonderland event to be held Nov 28,
The Springhill Main Street for the Draggin’ Main event to be held Oct 10,
The Springhill Northwestern Chamber of Commerce for the Mistletoe Market to be held Nov 28,
The City of Minden Recreation Center for the Minden Rec Fall Festival held at the end of October,
Hearts and Halos for the 2nd Annual Angel Baby Fun Run and Halo Fest to be held Oct 10.
Also, a sponsorship of $2500 was approved for the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality Brownsfields Program and Louisiana Main Street Small-Scale Real Estate Developer Training to be held in Ruston on Sept 29 and Oct 23.
The program holds particular significance for Commissioner Sara McDaniel, who said the assistance she received through the program made it possible for her to renovate and bring new life to the Villas at Spanish Court.
“I want to give a personal word of testimony for them,” McDaniel said. “They gave me a 0% interest loan to remediate the asbestos and lead paint at the Villas, and without that I would not have been able to do this.”
Commissioners also discussed the continued growth of tourism throughout Webster Parish and the expectation that it will continue to improve.
Chairman Ty Pendergrass noted the number of tournaments being scheduled at the Minden Recreation Center.
“Sports tourism is about to be cranked out in South Webster Parish, for sure,” Director Amie Poladian said.
With fall approaching, commissioners expressed excitement about all of the activities taking place across the parish.
“I like where we’re going and what things are happening in Springhill,” Commissioner Derek Melancon said.
Commissioner Rachel Miller agreed. “I’m excited about the fall in Webster Parish and I’m looking forward to it,” she said.
Commission members continue to encourage residents to experience Webster Parish through the eyes of a visitor.
That could mean exploring one of the parish’s many trails, biking or off-roading, attending a local festival, shopping at a local business, touring a museum, shopping at antique or thrift stores, visiting a farmers’ market or enjoying a meal at a locally owned restaurant.
Residents are also encouraged to share their experiences on social media and tag @VisitWebsterParish. Those posts help showcase the people, places and activities that make Webster Parish a destination for visitors.
The next meeting of the Webster Parish Convention & Visitors Commission will be held in November. Meetings are held every other month and are open to the public.
For more information about upcoming meetings, events and attractions throughout the parish, visit the commission’s Facebook page or its website at VisitWebster.net.