Resident urges marketing to revive BoDarc Bash; city says festival consultant report coming

Commerce — During public comment at the Oct. 15 City Council meeting, resident Frank Higgins urged the city and Chamber of Commerce to increase marketing for the BoDarc Bash to attract visitors from neighboring cities and boost vendor participation.

Higgins said the event has declined over the past five years and offered concrete suggestions: distribute posters and flyers in nearby towns such as Sulphur Springs and Greenville; recruit vendors at similar events (avoiding conflicts with Canton’s first-Monday weekend); and offer discounted vendor stalls. “We can save the Bo Darc bash if we spend a little bit of money to save the Bo Darc bash,” Higgins said.

In the city manager’s report, City Manager Robert Lisenby confirmed the city hired a festival consultant with statewide experience who attended the Bash and prepared an evaluation. Lisenby said the city expects the consultant’s report this week and will review it with the Chamber of Commerce. He noted the Chamber predominantly leads and sponsors the Bash and the city is a partner.

Lisenby said the consultant concluded the Bash met community expectations if the intent was “a party in our backyard,” but it did not succeed at drawing visitors from outside Commerce; the consultant identified strategies to transition the event toward attracting outside attendance. Lisenby also tied the work to the city’s strategic plan, saying festival development and new revenue streams are an objective under Strategic Plan Goal No. 1.

No formal council action was taken; Lisenby said the city and Chamber will use the consultant’s recommendations to evaluate next steps.