REDTT Helps Holiday Festivals Sparkle
Date: Dec. 16, 1997
Editor: D'Lyn Ford, (505) 646-6528, dlford@nmsu.edu
LAS CRUCES -- From a horse-drawn wagon ride along a lane of luminarias in Fort Sumner to a pontoon boat cruise down the Pecos River to admire the Christmas lights, New Mexico festivals offer enchanting ways to spend the holidays. By attracting tourists as well as community members, DeBaca County's Winterfest and Carlsbad's Christmas on the Pecos also can make local cash registers ring.
Like Santa's elves, experts with the Rural Economic Development Through Tourism (REDTT) project help communities put together events that build on local heritage and community spirit. REDTT, a program of New Mexico State University's Cooperative Extension Service, serves nine counties in New Mexico: Chaves, Cibola, DeBaca, Dona Ana, Eddy, Lea, Lincoln, Otero and Sierra. REDTT staff provide training and resources for communities and carry out tourism research.
A few years ago, REDTT began working with community and chamber of commerce officials in Carlsbad on what turned out to be a megawatt idea: boat rides to see the holiday lights on homes along the Pecos. To improve the view and vegetation along the Pecos, REDTT funded removal of salt cedar trees from the river banks. Salt cedar, a nonnative species, was a drain on the local water supply and a hindrance to other plant life along the river.
Visitors can take a 3.5-mile evening river cruise ... if they purchase their tickets early. Even with the addition of more pontoon boats, the popular event sells out, drawing visitors from increasing distances.
"Christmas on the Pecos started as a community pride event," notes Karen Watson, REDTT director. "Within five years, it was on the list of the American Bus Association's top 100 tours."
Though Carlsbad's Christmas tourism story is a standout among holiday festivals, there's plenty of room for more events, Watson believes.
"Winterfest in DeBaca County has the potential to be a good tourist event," she says. "It has a unique western flavor, especially with the horse-drawn wagon rides to see the luminaria display. There's a market niche for that heritage and community character."
Now in its second year, Winterfest began as a way to build community Christmas spirit, offering a local celebration so that residents wouldn't have to travel 60 miles for kids to visit Santa.
"With Christmas on the Pecos, people in Carlsbad found something that was fun for the community and then invited the world," says Rex Buchman, DeBaca County Extension agent. "We're trying to do something like that with Winterfest. We want to make the event a lot of fun for local people and have an economic impact on the community through tourism."
Winterfest begins with sprucing up Dallas Park in Fort Sumner. Residents adopt a tree or piece of playground equipment in the centrally located park and decorate it a week in advance. The day of the festival, crafters sell their wares downtown and merchants offer special giveaways. At 3 p.m., there are cookies and hot cider at the community center in honor of Santa's visit. Kids can make their gift ideas known and have their photos taken with St. Nick.
At dusk, everyone heads to the lighting ceremony at Dallas Park to see the community decorations. A new attraction this year were the giant Christmas cards.
"We got the idea from folks at a festival conference to have the art department at the school make big Christmas cards out of plywood and decorate them," explains Allison Southworth, REDTT program coordinator. "We're hoping to add a little something each year that's more fun for the community."
Capping off Winterfest, there are wagon rides along a lighted luminaria route off the highway. Local musicians, choirs and church groups offer evening entertainment.
To help make the festival a sparkling event, REDTT staff are helping with evaluations. They collect information about favorite events and ideas for future festivals, as well as demographic and marketing data, such as participants' ages, whether they have children, how long visitors stayed in the community and how much money they spent.
That information can help communities tailor events to specific audiences, such as families, senior citizens, out-of-state travelers or regional visitors. Economic impact information can help garner a share of lodgers' tax funding. Demographic information also can be used to attract corporate sponsors. "For example, soft drink companies might be interested in sponsoring events that reach a family audience," Watson explains.
Winterfest has already stoked the community's holiday spirit. Despite a bitterly cold debut in 1996, turnout was strong. In years to come, REDTT staff hope the festival will give visitors a place to spend their time and money during the holidays, putting a jingle in local pockets.