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Beefed up celebration
Published 5/29/2010 in Beef Empire Days
Beef Empire Days: Event provides local economic impact.
By SHAJIA AHMAD
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Brad Nading/Telegram Picnic table seating for the 2009 Beef Empire Days Roto-Mix cattlemen's Steak Cookout filled quickly under the grandstands, forcing many of those attending the event to dine while sitting in the grandstands at the Finney County Fairgrounds.
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Brad Nading/Telegram Nicolette Stapp bites down on her tongue as she makes a run down the slide at the Ottaways Amusements Carnival during the 2009 Beef Empire Days.
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When she was a little girl, Deann Gillen-Lehman can remember her and other kids her age taking tickets and ushering guests during several Beef Empire Days events.
Now, decades later, the executive director of the board that oversees the two-week long culinary celebration of beef — and the industry behind its production — said not much has changed over the years. Beef Empire Days continues to be a "huge draw" for families from all over the heartland.
"We're pulling cattle feeders from four or five different states, from Nebraska, Colorado, Oklahoma. It's not just about southwest Kansas," said Gillen-Lehman, who's been involved with the board of directors for five years. "It brings people together, and families often take part in events together. Overall, it brings in a huge crowd, not only to Garden City, but to southwest Kansas."
Out-of-town and out-of-state visitors means many dollars for the local economy, said Lynn Schoonover, director of the Finney County Convention and Tourism Bureau.
Schoonover said it's difficult to put a dollar figure on the fiscal impact of Beef Empire Days on the local economy because of a plethora of reasons: Some events are private and ticketed, the festival spans over a number of days, and quantifying the "indirect dollars" that comes from guests is next to impossible. Unlike other events during the year, such as the 3i Show that is held at the Finney County Fairgrounds biennially, Beef Empire Days is more likely to generate dollars for businesses locally than fill hotel rooms, the tourism director added.
"But that's not to say the economic impact isn't huge," Schoonover said. "When people come in, even from driving distance, they'll spend the day here, go out to lunch, go to shop at Walmart and Sam's Club, and maybe even visit the zoo and fill up their tank (with gas) on the way home."
In addition, many corporate sponsors are also from out of town and out of state, Schoonover said, and their business leaders will be occupying hotel rooms, generating additional business and tax revenue for the community at large.
The Convention and Tourism Bureau is also an annual sponsor of the events.
"That's our job — to bring guests in — so hopefully, they'll stay the night!" Schoonover said.
Moreover, each year's theme — this year the mantra is "The Future is Beef" — is chosen by the Beef Empire Days Board of Directors with particular consideration to the creativity it offers to parade float entrants, Gillen-Lehman said.
"The future is beef — it's what we eat," Gillen-Lehman said.
There's a lot of paperwork involved getting everything together before the start of this year's events, which kicks off today with a weekend cutting horse competition at the Finney County Fairgrounds.
The list of events hasn't changed from last year, which means Beef Empire Days doesn't have anything less to offer this year, including steak cookouts, ranch rodeos, parades, musical concerts, a carnival, and other entertainment for the whole family, beginning June 2 through June 13. Last year, the committee was forced to spread its programs over the course of three weeks in June, in order to accommodate the calendar and start of the PRCA rodeo.
"We've gotten so big now, and while we try to incorporate new things, sometimes you can spread yourself too thin," Gillen-Lehman said.
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