FCTA approves event grants

The Fallon Convention and Tourism Authority Board approved on Tuesday nine grants for events that focus on a multitude of activities ranging from the Cantaloupe Festival to outdoor education.

Rick Gray, FCTA’s executive director, said he is pleased to see the County Fair and Cantaloupe Festival merge into one event, which will be held during the Labor Day weekend.

“This event will be better as one,” Gray said. “They were diminished as two separate events.”

Gray also said the FCTA board wants the Cantaloupe Festival to work closer with the Lions Junior Rodeo so that one admission ticket covers both events.

The FCTA granted the Fallon Festival Association, which sponsors the annual Cantaloupe Festival, $15,000. According to the request, the Fallon Festival Association estimates about 7,500 visitors will attend the three-day event, but the association seeks to promote the festival within a 75-mile radius of Fallon through the use of social media, print, radio and television.

The FCTA also approved $2,500 for the junior rodeo. According to the grant request submitted by Fallon Lions Club President Barbara Hertz, the rodeo seeks to increase its number of paid spectators and entries for the September event.

Other approvals included the following:

• The annual Fallon All Breeds Bull sale, which will be held on Feb. 14, received $2,000.

“In its 49th year, the Fallon Bull Sale is considered one of Nevada’s best purebred bull sales providing our industry’s and surrounding states’ seed stock operators a market for their animals and region-wide exposure for the ranches producing those bulls,” said Stephanie Licht, executive director of the Nevada Cattlemen’s Association, in its grant request.

• The Lahontan Auto Racing Association, which oversees the racing at Rattlesnake Raceway, received $10,000. According to the application, the grant will be used to promote auto racing during the racing season that includes multi-day events, Octane Fest and the Nevada State Dirt Track Championship.

• WGAS Motorsports/Octane Fest received $10,000 for promotion.

• Motor Sports Safety Inc./Top Gun received $10,000 for advertising. According to the application, the group’s long- and short-term goals are to contribute positively to the community’s economy and to concentrate on new events to help offset the economic slide in revenue Top Gun has experienced.

• The Churchill County Parks and Recreation Department received $2,000 for its Coed Youth Basketball Tournament.

• The Fallon High School Rodeo Club received $2,000 to help with expenses at its April rodeo.

• The Wetlands and Wings Outdoors Workshop and Hunt received $2,500 to promote and provide outdoor education workshops and events for youth. Events are tentatively planned for March 7-8 and Oct. 3-4.

The event, according to organizers, introduces youth ages 10-17 to outdoor education through hands-on workshops and mentioned bird hunts in the Lahontan Valley.

“The education opportunity is a great one,” Gray said. “It introduces kids and parents to the area and encourages them to come back.”

Gray also said the area, for example, provides opportunities that are not found in California.

“The organizers talked passionately about their program, and the board was impressed with their approach,” Gray said.