Nicky Boyette – Jackie Wolven, director of the Eureka Springs Downtown Network, made her case again to the City Advertising and Promotion Commission (CAPC) for including the historic Auditorium in ESDN downtown tours. She said tours in the past included a walkthrough of the facility until an incident during Mayor Morris Pate’s time in office when an item went missing from the Auditorium and “we were falsely accused.” The allegedly stolen item mysteriously reappeared, but she said all keys to the Auditorium were collected and the Auditorium has been off-limits for the tours since.
Wolven insisted Mayor Butch Berry does not have a problem with the Auditorium being part of the tours and had said the CAPC, which is in charge of maintaining the Auditorium, should make the call. She also said the tours are a mainstay for the ESDN budget, that part of ESDN’s mission is to preserve and create cultural attractions downtown, and the auditorium is “the keystone” of all downtown attractions. Wolven maintained having visitors tour the facility would leave an impression, and they would be more likely to return as a ticket-buying patrons.
She said the matter of keys could be easily negotiated, and ESDN has tour insurance to cover liabilities. There was the matter of extra cleanup after a parade of tourists, but Wolven contended the CAPC would benefit from allowing new people to experience the Auditorium.
Commissioner Charles Ragsdell suggested the CAPC could assist ESDN in developing a short video presentation a tour guide could use. Executive Director Mike Maloney said he could see “a general agreement that this is a positive thing.” He agreed to develop what the CAPC would require of ESDN and arrange a meeting with Wolven soon.
Dressing it up
Interested observer Susan Harmon said she hears from guests at her Bed & Breakfast they wish there were more things downtown to explain the colorful history of the town. She suggested the CAPC create experiences tourists would remember and share with others.
One idea would be characters in Victorian costume to pose in photographs with visitors, which Harmon asserted would find their way onto social media and thereby market the town. Tourists could pose with Carrie (also spelled Carry) Nation wielding her hatchet, for example. Harmon also suggested souvenir trinkets reminiscent of the healing waters that attracted original settlers to the area.
Maloney commented he appreciated fresh ideas, and thought ESDN, the Arts Council or the Chamber of Commerce are avenues through which these suggestions could blossom. He agreed Eureka Springs has a fascinating history and welcomed the challenge of implementing fresh ideas for getting people to visit.