Holbrook Old West Days Funding To Be Reduced.
Holbrook’s Old West Days is six months away and the budget for the event will be substantially reduced from the previous event held in August. The 2009 Old West Days were more elaborate than previous years, with events extending beyond the courthouse grounds to include the Navajo County Fairgrounds, but it was also more costly. The event, which had traditionally cost less than $10,000 cost more than $44,092 this year, with revenues totaling $8,931 for a total event cost of $35,161. The funds for putting on the two-day event come from the city’s lodgers tax, with the objective of promoting the city and its western heritage. The event is not intended to produce a profit or even necessarily to break even. The intent of expanding the event this past year was to encourage visits by a broader range of people who would be drawn by the rodeo and the various contests that were taking place. Although there was no way to gauge total attendance, it was noted that approximately 1,334 people purchased entry bands sold at the rodeo grounds. The number of people who attended other events or did not purchase a band was not known. Of the funds spent on the Old West Days the total cost of advertising was $6,429; T-shirts, $3,980; VIP amenities, $1,138; soundman for the Battle of the Bands, $2,000; children’s games and Hashknife Posse breakfast, $1,493; fee for the event organizer, $500; contribution to Dusty Desert Quilt Guild, $250; prize money, $6,710; appreciation dinner, $850; and the rodeo event, $20,766. The revenues received from the event came from entry fees for the bike and foot races, chili cook-off and Battle of the Bands, and breakfast tickets. This year’s event will be scaled down a great deal with a total budget of $20,000, compared to the budget of $37,500 presented for the last one. The committee to organize the event has yet to be formed, but city officials are considering scheduling a meeting in January. In a Dec. 15 budget work session, it was noted that it was still an uncertainty as to whether a rodeo will be held as part of the upcoming event. It was agreed that if a rodeo is to be held along with Old West Days, the cost would have to be reduced substantially in order to accommodate the new budget. In a meeting of the Navajo County Fair Board on Dec. 9, the board had discussed approaching the city with the possibility of Old West Days being held in conjunction with the Southern Arizona International Livestock Show scheduled June 18 and 19 at the county fairgrounds. Other budget areas that will be reduced include T-shirts, as only $126 worth were sold for last year’s event. It’s also likely that prize money will be reduced for the parade, Battle of the Bands, chili cook-off and the rodeo.
