By Melissa Wagoner
Nine grants totaling almost $44,000 were approved Oct. 3 when the Silverton City Council accepted the recommendations of the Silverton Tourism Promotion Committee.
Awards ranged from familiar community events such as First Friday, the Sidewalk Shindig and Silverton Arts Festival, to brew-based entries like the Homer Invitational Brewfest and the Fox Foundation Fall Line Stout and Ale Fest. Attractions like The Gordon House and Oregon Garden Resort Christmas Market earned allocations along with the Silverton Chamber of Commerce’s Silverton in Bloom and Paws in the Parks promotions.
In 2008 the Silverton City Council approved the establishment of a 9% Transient Accommodation Tax on guest accommodation fees. The ensueing revenues established the grant funding.
“It has been widely used by most of the events and tourism-based groups in the community,” Stacy Palmer, Silverton Chamber of Commerce Executive Director, wrote in a Facebook post Sept. 16, when questions about tourism grants were discussed on Silverton Connections.
“The application period was moved from July to September this year,” she added, “but can be counted on annually. The chamber tries to make sure community groups know about the program but would love to hear suggestions for widening the audience. The funds are restricted to tourism endeavors and everything that helps promote our community to the visitor world is something we support.”
“These were all really great applications and really performing the kinds of things we want happening in the community,” Mayor Kyle Palmer said at the meeting where the grants were approved.
The 2022 awards used only half of the $96,000 budget, and the committee encourages more applicants to apply in the future.
“The city is also looking for a representative of the lodging community to sit on the advisory board to help decide where the funds are distributed,” Stacy Palmer wrote. “You can check it out on the city’s website under Tourism Promotion.”
Silverton Tourism Grant Recipients 2022
• Silverton Chamber of Commerce’s First Friday: $10,026
• Homer Davenport Community Festival’s Invitational Brewfest: $10,000
• Silverton Sidewalk Shindig’s Annual Sidewalk Shindig: $6,500
• The Fox Foundation’s Fall Line Stout and Ale Fest: $5,000
• Oregon Garden Resort’s Christmas Market: $5,000
• Silverton Chamber of Commerce’s Silverton in Bloom: $2,791
• Silverton Chamber of Commerce’s Paws in the Park: $2,445
• The Gordon House: $1,000
• Silverton Arts Association’s Arts Festival: $1,000
