City Awards $45,000 in Grants to Support Community Tourism Efforts

Crowd gathered for 2018 Rotary Concert at Town Center Park

March 25, 2019 — On March 21, the City of Wilsonville’s Tourism Promotion Committee awarded $45,000 in grants to assist seven local organizations in hosting events and attractions that celebrate community and bring visitors to town.

These awards come from two programs, both funded by lodging taxes paid by overnight visitors: $25,000 from the City of Wilsonville Community Tourism Matching Grant program and $20,000 from the Clackamas County Tourism Community Partnership Program.

“The seven organizations we are funding this year have successfully drawn visitors in past years to Wilsonville and Clackamas County,” said Parks and Recreation Program Manager Brian Stevenson, who administers the grant programs. “We’re proud to support community efforts to provide athletic events, entertainment and cultural enrichment opportunities for residents and visitors to enjoy.”

The complete list of award recipients funded by the City and County tourism grant programs:

City of Wilsonville Community Tourism Awards: $25,000

  • Fun in the Park: $9,000 to produce the 18th annual Fun in the Park festival on Aug. 3.
  • Brews for Community: $5,000 to produce the Wilsonville Brewfest summer event showcasing Oregon breweries on Aug. 10.
  • Wilsonville Arts & Culture Council: $5,000 for hosting the Wilsonville Festival of the Arts on June 1-2.
  • Wilsonville Rotary Foundation: $4,000 to support Wilsonville Rotary’s production of a four-show Summer Concert Series, July 18-Aug. 8.
  • Wilsonville Bicycle Events: $2,000 to produce the Salmon Cycling Classic, a bike ride/dinner event on June 29 to support construction of a bike/pedestrian bridge over I-5.

Clackamas County Tourism Community Partnership Awards: $20,000

  • Salmon Cycling Classic: $12,500 to provide event advertising and marketing support for the June 29 cycling event, which begins and ends at Memorial Park and includes 50k, 60k and 80k courses.
  • MeSheWe run: $5,000 to provide marketing support for an untimed women's running event in Wilsonville on June 1 that offers participants a half-marathon, 10k or team relay run.
  • Battle at the Bridge: $2,500 for marketing and additional support for Wilsonville Lacrosse to support a youth tournament at Wilsonville High School on June 8.

Enhancing tourism in Wilsonville is a primary objective of City Council, which has adopted a Tourism Development Strategy and a Signage and Wayfinding Plan to make the City more accessible to visitors. More information about Wilsonville-area tourism attractions and events can be found online at ExploreWilsonville.com.

For information on the grant programs, visit WilsonvilleParksandRec.com or contact Brian Stevenson, Program Manager, at 503-570-1523, stevenson@ci.wilsonville.or.us.

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