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American Rose Society says financial shortfall threatens Christmas in Roseland; asks Caddo Parish for help
Summary
The American Rose Society's Rose Center told commissioners that organizational separation and declining membership left the society with a budget shortfall and that Christmas in Roseland needs about $125,000 to proceed; the board asked staff to connect presenters with parish grant processes and offered follow-up meetings.
Beth Smiley, executive director for the American Rose Society’s Rose Center in Greenwood, briefed the Caddo Parish Commission on Sept. 2 about the garden’s programs, history and financial challenges and asked for help sustaining the Christmas in Roseland festival.
Smiley described the Rose Center’s role as host of educational programming, international rose registration and a long-running annual lights festival. She said an economic-impact study showed more than 89,000 visitors to Christmas in Roseland from 2017–2024 and an average economic impact of about $1.2 million during that period.
Smiley said the national society and the Rose Center are in the process of separating; the society has experienced leadership turnover and declining membership revenue. She told commissioners the society told staff it must raise the entire Christmas in Roseland budget by September and that the event budget is $125,000. She said the society’s separation means the garden may continue, but the national organization must reassess its operations.
Commissioners asked whether the Rose Center had applied for parish NGO or economic-development grants; Smiley said separation confusion and timing prevented a completed application this cycle. Commissioners responded with offers to meet, help navigate parish grant procedures and explore emergency funding options to preserve the festival’s tourism and economic impact.
Smiley said the Rose Center's gross revenue for the last year was roughly $125,495, and she encouraged commissioners to consider ways the parish could help sustain the event and the garden's programming going forward.
