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County approves $10,000 for Tunica River Park marketing; chamber outlines Oktoberfest plans
Summary
The Tunica County Board of Supervisors approved a $10,000 appropriation to the Tunica County Chamber of Commerce to promote Tunica River Park and help support an Oktoberfest-style event; the chamber presented details and said funds would seed marketing and gift-shop management changes.
The Tunica County Board of Supervisors approved a $10,000 appropriation Thursday to the Tunica County Chamber of Commerce to support marketing and management improvements at Tunica River Park and to assist with an Oktoberfest-style event.
A county staff member read a letter from the chamber asking for the funding. The letter said the chamber was “eager to expand our partnership with Tunica County to enhance the visibility in the field of Tunica River Park” and requested $10,000 in seed funding to develop marketing and revenue-generating initiatives, including gift-shop management, targeted advertising and promotional materials.
Jaylen James, who introduced himself to the board as “Jaylen James, the chief of staff for the Tunica County Chamber of Commerce,” presented an event proposal called “Boots and Brews, Oktoberfest on the Strip.” James described the proposal as “a southern twist on the classic German beer festival” intended to activate Casino Way as a walkable entertainment district, with live music, food trucks, beer gardens, vendor markets and family activities. The chamber requested permission to close part of Casino Way for the one-day event and said detailed layouts would be provided later.
Supervisors voted to appropriate the $10,000 and to include support for the Oktoberfest-related items in the memorandum of agreement for Tunica River Park and gift-shop management. The meeting record shows a motion, a second and a unanimous voice vote: “All in favor? Aye. Opposed? Motion carries.”
Staff and chamber representatives noted some operational issues to resolve, including the river-park sewer fee the chamber said was higher than comparable sites; the chamber said higher sewer fees had reduced ship pump usage and that the park had seen increased ship traffic recently. Chamber representatives said the park is often the first Mississippi stop for northbound river visitors and that improved visitor services could boost local tourism.
Board members asked the chamber to provide a formal site layout and a detailed budget or event plan before final permitting and road-closure approvals. The appropriation funds were approved to support the chambers marketing and early event costs.
