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Mayor proclaims Juneteenth; CATCH Des Moines outlines $7M tourism budget, upcoming events
Summary
Mayor Robert Aneweg proclaimed June 19, 2026 as Juneteenth in Urbandale and recognized Juneteenth organizers. Trina Flack of CATCH Des Moines reviewed the bureau's funding model (25% of the 7% hotel tax), a roughly $7 million budget, major recent events hosted and large upcoming attractions including the Iowa Air Show (May 2027) and AAU Junior Olympics (July 28–August 8).
Mayor Robert Aneweg read a Juneteenth proclamation designating 06/19/2026 as Juneteenth in Urbandale and invited residents and community groups to observe the day. The mayor recognized Dwanna Bradley, who spoke on behalf of Des Moines Urban Experience and Iowa Juneteenth and thanked the council for the proclamation and continued partnership in community celebrations.
Trina Flack of CATCH Des Moines (the regional convention and visitors bureau) gave a presentation about the bureau's mission, funding and event pipeline. Flack told the council that local collections from a 7% hotel occupancy tax are split—CATCH receives 25%—and that the organization’s annual budget is about $7 million, with roughly 85% of that used to attract visitors. She highlighted recent large events hosted in the metro (National Speech and Debate, National Senior Games) and upcoming contracts that are expected to draw significant visitation, including discussions around the USA Triathlon National Championship (2027–28) and the Iowa Air Show (May 2027), which staff estimated could attract more than 50,000 attendees per day.
Councilors asked about return on investment and other metrics; Flack estimated the ROI in a general range (she said roughly 25-to-1 but asked the council not to quote that as a precise figure) and offered to provide more detailed data if desired. The mayor and council thanked CATCH Des Moines for its work and for showing how regional event hosting channels economic activity back to Urbandale hotels, restaurants and retailers.
What happens next: CATCH will continue coordination with Urbandale staff on event recruitment and local support; the city will be asked to help with volunteer recruitment and local event logistics for larger upcoming events.
