Inside Kirksville
A conversation show from the City of Kirksville to inform residents about the processes and people that help make Kirksville happen.
Inside Kirksville
Destination Kirksville: How Tourism Attracts People To Town
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It's an exciting time in Kirksville. Between hosting the Special Olympics Missouri State Summer Games a few weeks ago and the Red, White and Blue Festival happening in a few weeks, many events are happening in the city.
This month's episode features Tourism Director Sharon Swehla, talking about the many ways she works to attract visitors to Kirksville and the effect they have on the local community.
Hello there, and welcome to a new episode of Inside Kirksville. My name is Austin Miller, Communications Director for the City of Kirksville. Thanks for joining me for this month's conversation with someone who helps make Kirksville happen. It's an exciting time in the city. We just had the special Olympics Missouri State Summer Games in town a few weeks ago, bringing thousands of people from around the state to our neck of the woods, and we'll soon join the rest of the country in celebrating its 250th anniversary as we host our annual Red, White, and Blue Festival in a few weeks. The person behind those and other events is Sharon Swela, the city's tourism director. Today we'll cover what happens behind the scenes to make those events happen, how vital partnerships and volunteers are, how she works to get visitors to come here, and how tourism benefits locals. Do you know how far advanced fireworks have to be ordered for the Fourth of July? We'll answer that and hopefully some other questions you might have had about Kirksville tourism. So here's my conversation with Sharon. So we're now joined by Sharon Swelo, Tourism Director for the City of Kirksville. Sharon, how are you? Thanks for coming.
SPEAKER_00Oh, I'm great, Austin. Thanks for having me this month.
SPEAKER_01So to start off, could you just tell us a little bit about yourself, how long you've been in the position, and what the duties of tourism director kind of entail? I know we'll get into more descriptive later on, but just kind of an overview.
SPEAKER_00So I've been in the position with the city for four years now as tourism director. So I moved to Kirksville uh during COVID, so March of 2020. And uh I started in this position May of 22.
SPEAKER_01We'll get into some of the exciting event stuff going on, but I wanted to kind of lead off with the Special Olympics and talk about how that all went. So what did you think of this year's uh edition of the summer games here in Kirksville?
SPEAKER_00So last year obviously was the first year that they came to Kirksville, um, and this year was even better. So they had more athletes, they had almost 1,050 athletes, um, and then um, you know, more spectators and more families, uh, and they just love Kirksville. They love Truman State, they love Kirksville, they love Northeast Missouri, uh, how welcoming we are um and how we thank them over and over out around town. You know, they go get gas and people are saying, you know, thanks and welcome, and they don't get that at a lot of other communities. They get lost. And so um hands down, the last two years they have said that the the last two summer games have been the best that they've been to. Um so they're looking forward to next year. Um that will be the last year of a three-year contract. Um, and then normally they put it out for bid uh again. So I don't know um what's gonna happen after next year. Um obviously they are gonna want Kirksville to probably bid again. Um so, but we just keep trying to improve their experience. Um, you know, this year we added the poll banner flags, and um it it was amazing how just such a simple thing made them feel even more at home than last year. So just those little additions that we do every year. Um, but it's an enormous amount of work. Um, you know, we start we've already met.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, what does that planning process look like ahead of each year?
SPEAKER_00So um we will start probably meeting again um in August to kind of um go over the you know things that maybe ideas for next year already. And then um we have a games management team that is probably about 15 to 15 people to 20 people from around the community and with um Special Olympics um in Jeff City. And we meet uh starting probably the end of the year um once a month. So um, and then that we have separate committees who meet um in between those uh games management meetings about volunteering, um, you know, opening ceremonies, uh hotels, um, various things, you know, the healthy athletes. So uh it takes an enormous amount of time um and energy to put something like this together.
SPEAKER_01And so that's you, folks from Truman, other folks around the community, then also working in coordination with the Special Olympics Missouri. Right.
SPEAKER_00Yep. So it's a team effort. Um, it's not just uh our team here in Kirksville. We have to work with um the group from uh Jeff City, and then even um the law enforcement from around the state of Missouri, they also get involved in the torch run um and uh supporting uh for the awards ceremonies and so it really is it's not just a community, it's a statewide effort to um make these games a success.
SPEAKER_01For someone whose job is to bring people to Kirksville, what does that do for you when you hear outsiders give you such uh nice feedback about the experience they had here?
SPEAKER_00Well, so uh, you know, uh well I love it, uh first of all, because um I think long term uh people will talk about Kirksville in a positive manner and Northeast Missouri to their family and friends. What a great experience they had, that maybe people need to come and spend a weekend um here in Kirksville if they haven't been to this area. And I'm very proud of how the community has stepped up and and what a positive light they put on this um area. And um, you know, they'll probably come back, right? The people who have come here for the summer games had a good experience. Um I truly believe that they will come back, you know, with um the the high cost of travel nowadays. People are looking at doing uh weekend road trips and you'll want to stay in um, you know, a three and four hour um drive. And if people talk about Kirksville and what a great experience they have and how people should come and visit, that's what I'm trying to do. I'm trying to bring people from 50 miles away or farther to visit. So that's my goal.
SPEAKER_01You mentioned the number of athletes. What's the number of volunteers, which again are are a large part local folks too?
SPEAKER_00Huge part. Volunteerism is a huge part of what makes this um event a success. And we had um approximately 500 volunteers who um came from again statewide, but local also. Um, and that is a partnership that is um a huge part of making this event a success.
SPEAKER_01And that volunteerism is a a wide range of of things for the Special Olympics, too.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, it's um, you know, we had uh games on Thursday night and and other nights. So it's helping with those um games like activities, you know, um not the actual athletic games, but other events that happen outside of those. Um helping in the in the cafeteria, um, helping them navigate how to get their food and cleaning up the tables, um, you know, helping them uh get settled into their rooms, or um, you know, helping with the awards and the medals. And um yeah, it's just it's from the time that they come into town, if there is an area where we can help them navigate through the experience um and through uh Kirksville as a whole, um that is where we need volunteers to do that.
SPEAKER_01And we're not quite done with Special Olympics. Do you want to talk a little bit about the PEP rally coming up next week to help send off Missouri athletes to the national games?
SPEAKER_00Yep. So next week on Thursday, June 18th, um the uh Missouri USA Games team, Mo Magic, is going to be meeting here in Kirksville. Um, and they will be having a pep rally at Truman State University on that evening. It begins at 7 o'clock in Pershing um arena, and it's um you know open to the community uh where they will be celebrated, they will be recognized and cheered on um to go to Minneapolis. Uh so they will spend the evening here in Kirksville at Truman State, and then Friday they will have a law enforcement um, you know, ride from or like um escort. Escort, thanks. Yeah, an escort from here to the Iowa state line. Um, and then they'll go on to to Minneapolis. But um we wanted to wish them well. Um it's just another way of thanking them for coming to Kirksville. And uh Truman State Um is putting together a great um, it's a it'll be like an hour and a half event um for the team. So um yeah, they they because of the World Cup in Kansas City, they didn't want to meet in Kansas City. That's normally where they would have. Um and then they thought, well, where can we do it? And they thought, let's see if Kirksville will have us. And they asked, and hands down, we didn't even um have any delay at all. And we said, absolutely, come to Kirksville.
SPEAKER_01Well, it's just been so neat to see the way the community has embraced them and the way they have embraced our community.
SPEAKER_00Right, right. So it's it's been a great partnership and a great collaboration of sponsors, businesses, volunteers, and the whole community coming together uh for an event like this. And that's what my department overall is, that's my target, right? Is to bring these kinds of events into Kirksville. Um it's a huge economic boost. Um it's a great way of advertising if people have a great experience here. And um that that is what brings uh tourism tax um to the city.
SPEAKER_01So we're excited for another games to come back next year. As you look into this summer, we roll onto the red, white, and blue festival. So, how how would you want to start off talking about this this great annual event that we have?
SPEAKER_00Well, so yep, that is coming up fast. Uh so the annual Red, White, and Blue Festival, it's gonna be July 3rd and 4th. Um, obviously, this year in our country is um a huge celebration, the 250th. Um, we do so much already for this red, white, and blue that it was hard kind of to add anything new, right? Um, because we go above and beyond to celebrate um the you know, July 4th weekend. Um, a couple of the things that we have added, we are doing an art contest. People can submit what the 250th in Kirksville means to them. Um, we are doing some prize money for the winners that uh my department um is funding for that. Um, the other thing that we've added is a barbecue um on Friday evening, July 3rd, with the Main Street Kirksville group. Um so they are going to be um offering a barbecue that evening. And you know, I've put more money in the budget for the uh fireworks out at North Park again as a celebration. So um uh this also is an event that takes um an enormous amount of time and energy and volunteers to um have this work. Um I don't put everything together, I work with different groups who put their section of the two days together.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, you mentioned Main Street, the Arts Association. Who are some of those players that are involved with their piece of the whole pie?
SPEAKER_00So we have the United Way, um, they do the pie contest and auction, and uh they sell pie and ice cream. Um and then we have the Nemo Car Club, um, they put together the car show that happens every year. Uh the Flats Group, uh, they put together the annual Uncle Sam run, um, the Kawanis Farmers Market, so the Kianis Club puts that together. The annual pancake breakfast is put together by the area service clubs. Um and then North Park, uh, the events at North Park are put together by obviously my department in the Parks and Rec department put that together. Um we also uh have added the last couple of years, um, the Curtain Call Theater puts together the cemetery theater um presentations, but that's a lot.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, how exciting is that to be able to give different groups a little bit of responsibility and then it all comes together to make something so good.
SPEAKER_00Well, so it makes uh planning this event a lot easier. Um I oversee the whole, you know, two days and I make sure that the groups have what they need and we're communicating. Um it it is a great feeling because it's collaborating and it's partnerships that are necessary in a community to make things happen. And I feel like if if people take ownership and feel like they're making a difference, then they will continue to do that at other events throughout the year. So this is um this event is really about partners and um providing something good for our community and for people who want to come in for the weekend um and you know, visit family or just come in for the day. Um it really, it really is a great event.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, because I would imagine a large part it's an event for the people of Kirksville, but with the the scale that it has gotten to, I would I can't imagine people aren't coming from nearby towns as well and spending a day or a night.
SPEAKER_00Right, right. And then and then they spend the whole day here, you know, they're gonna end up spending money. So again, it's another economic boost. And my goal in my department is for people to think that there's things to do in Kirksville. And so, you know, you don't want to go to an area where there's nothing to do, there's never anything going on. Um, so that is my goal is to form relationships like these to help me uh have events and programs uh that would bring people to town.
SPEAKER_01So we talked about how far in advance you're planning for Special Olympics. How far in advance does planning go for events like this?
SPEAKER_00So um we start planning this at least six months in advance, um, if not uh eight, maybe even a year. Um and and I don't, you know, and I don't mean like we're meeting every month, but we'll meet, we'll talk about what works, what didn't, maybe ideas for the next year, um, if we want to get a certain entertainment, you know. People book out sometimes if if they're you know um busy uh a year in advance, especially for entertainment. So um those are the kind of things that you have to do a little bit earlier. And then at least six months in advance, we're really kind of meeting every month to discuss um, you know, uh what other steps we need to take, marketing of it, um, you know, who we need to contact and reach out to. And it's just an ongoing um it's a it's just a big puzzle. And and I'm the I'm kind of the gatekeeper of it all. And so I just make sure that everybody's kind of on track and doing what they need to do and um and and I market it. I do so my funds are used to do radio ads, print ads, um, TV ads, and so that's part of what my department does is to market these kinds of events.
SPEAKER_01Well, unless fireworks, you have to have your order in of what's so far in advance is right, right.
SPEAKER_00So I place that order pretty much after it'll be happen shortly after this year's event. Um and you know, I work with the fire department um on what they need, and um I place the order and then I you know pay for it after the first of the year. So that's been set, yeah, uh pretty much a year in advance. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01What kind of attendance numbers do you see on years of either coming to parades and participating that way or just spectators who are coming out to the things downtown or up at North Park?
SPEAKER_00So um, you know, it's kind of hard to get accurate numbers, right? It's always an approximate. But um so last year, um Friday and Saturday, we had about 2,500 people um who came through downtown. Um I get these numbers from Placer AI. Uh and so it um if they came to the um one block, um it's one block off of downtown that I have set. Um and if they spent 10 minutes or longer than, and if they have a phone that's going to ping them, then I have those counts, right? And so that's where these numbers come from. So last year it was around 2,500 uh that came through. Um, and then in 2024 it was around 3,000. So it's around that, you know, two to three thousand mark, um, I think, who come downtown uh during that two-day period um to take advantage of these sorts of things. Um North Park, that was last year around 3,500, and then um in 2024 around 3,900, so the 3,500 to 4,000. Um my estimation would be that it would be larger this year, um, just simply because um the 2250th, and you know, it's just getting better and better every year, I feel like.
SPEAKER_01I think the weekend of the third and fourth being the Friday and Saturday sets up for that as well.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah. So I'll be interested to see what the numbers are after this uh event.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. So why don't you just give us a rundown of what all is happening, when and where is part of the festival?
SPEAKER_00Um so on Friday evening, downtown July 3rd, um, the United Way Pie contest and sales and auction will be happening. The community band will be playing starting at five o'clock on the uh courthouse lawn. Uh and then from 5 to 7, the Main Street Kirksville group will be having the barbecue that will be on the east side of the courthouse lawn. Um and then the uh Kirksville Arts Association will be having Summer on the Square, which starts at 7 o'clock, and Aaron Russell will be the band who will be playing that Friday evening. Uh and then Saturday morning we come back down to the square for the Kowanis Farmers Market, which that goes from 7 a.m. until noon. Um the Nemo Carr show will also be down there. That starts at 8 o'clock until noon. The Flats Uncle Sam run that will happen at 8:30 a.m. The pancake breakfast starts at 7 a.m. Um until 11, and that will be happening in the north parking lot of the Adair County Courthouse. And then the parade um happens at 10 o'clock, and that will be going from uh down Franklin Street on the square from north to south. Um and then that afternoon, um at from 2 till 4 out at Forest Llewellyn will be the cemetery theater um presentation by the Curtain Call Theater. And then everyone can go out to North Park that that afternoon, starting at around five o'clock, the food trucks will be open. And um they will have some kids' games and then the entertainment starts at 5 30, and that's the Travis Kirtman band, and he will play all the way till 9 30 when the fireworks will happen at 9 30. So as you can see, it's two days of fun-filled activities, something for everybody, um, and just celebrating Kirksville, family, and um America.
SPEAKER_01So Yeah, there's certainly a lot going on. So if people are interested or need to double check some stuff, make sure to stop by, visit Kirksville.com. And Sharon's got the full list and schedule there on her website, as well as registration for the parade if you've got an organization or business that's looking to participate and help make this another good parade year. That would be great.
SPEAKER_00Right. Um, that's the thing we really want to stress uh for people who are going to participate in the parade. You know, we want you to take the time to really decorate, um, do something, you know, exciting for the kids and um patriotic and just really like you took the time to think, you know, about a cool float. So yeah.
SPEAKER_01Anything else on the Red, White, and Blue Festival to cover?
SPEAKER_00No. Uh just make sure you come out and you know, take advantage of it and and thank the people who worked so hard to put it together for for our community. Absolutely. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01So we've touched a few times here or there over the conversation about the inner workings of your department. So I wanted to kind of go a little more into detail with some of that because it is a relatively new-ish city department. Uh previously the tourism department existed as its own entity separate, and um things changed around the state to where it could become a city department. So the city took it under its swing in 22. Um, can you just kind of talk about that transition as well? Because that was the same time that you were then coming into the position as well.
SPEAKER_00Mm-hmm. Yep. So that happened uh, like you said, in April of 22, where the department left the Chamber of Commerce, um, that those two were together and came under the city. And so at that time, um, the tourism department lost its destination marketing organization status uh through the State of Missouri Tourism Department. And shortly after I started, um, I had to reapply uh for the tourism department, then under the city, to get that designation back. And I did. Um, and that so that means that I not only market Kirksville, I market Adair County. So um, you know, Navinger, Brashier, and other things happening um in Adair County. That also allows me to apply for certain grants through the State Tourism Department. Um, every year I get um apply for a grant um to it's called the matching marketing marketing grant, um, and it's a 50-50 match that um goes towards the marketing of Kirksville, um, ads, Billboards, radio, TV. Um, and obviously any of those ads have to reach people over 50 miles and more away. So a lot of them you won't see. Um, a lot of the TV ads, you probably you won't if you see it in Kirksville, other than you know, like the red, white, and blue in Hometown Holiday, if you see any of other ones, um, you shouldn't. Um, you know, I place those in southern Missouri, Kansas City, St. Louis, um, Arkansas, um, and uh the state of Kansas. So I kind of the outlying areas of Kirksville. So that grant allows me to spend more money, print ads. Um, so it's a great, uh, great benefit. Um, it helps it helps me be a good steward of the tourism tax that I take in.
SPEAKER_01So, what are the things about Kirksville that you're selling to people in other communities to get them to come here?
SPEAKER_00So um a low-hanging fruit, I think, uh for Kirksville is the outdoors, right? Um, Thousand Hill State Park, hunting, fishing, um, our downtown, um uh and I the events happening, um, it being a college town and the feel of a college town and being able to um experience um really getting away, right? So um those are the kind of things that I really focus on is, you know, the outdoors and um some of our history that that we have here.
SPEAKER_01So are are those targeted things like fishing publications or hunting things of that sort? Does it get as granular as that?
SPEAKER_00Yep. So um I actually uh put ads into um Iowa Sportsman's. Um so they their market is hunting and fishing. And so I put numerous ads in there, um, like Terrain Magazine. Um that's uh outdoor running, biking um magazine. And uh so that's just a couple of examples how I do try to target um to those groups based on what I think they would be reading.
SPEAKER_01So well, as you mentioned, the cost of travel for many things and entertainment is very high. I would think at a time like that, your your free state parks and outdoor things are are much more relevant to people now, maybe than they had been in recent years.
SPEAKER_00Right, right. Um, you know, uh Missouri is actually really lucky that you do not have to purchase a ticket to get into a state park. Um everywhere else I've lived, you either have to get a day pass or you can get a yearly pass, but you have to pay to get into a state park. And so the one thing that I have that I well, a couple of things that I've noticed, first of all, is that you don't have to pay to get into any state park. Thousand Hills is beautiful. Um, there's great hiking, there is boating, uh, the fishing and um beach area. In the beach area that we just redid, I mean, and you don't have to pay for a lot of that stuff. And Kirksville as a whole has a lot of free um events for the community. So um, you know, if people are coming here to stay uh and they look on our um community calendar that I keep up to see what's going on, they can really come here and have a great time without spending an enormous amount of money. You know, we're just a hidden little gem up here in Northeast Missouri, I feel like. Um and it's it's a really beautiful place. And not and not only Thousand Hills, but the Department of Conservation has an enormous um amount of hiking trails um that people don't have any idea or take advantage of. So, and those are free too.
SPEAKER_01You mentioned a few times the lodging tax. Could you kind of explain what that is and how and how that is then used by your department?
SPEAKER_00So the lodging tax that um people have to pay when they stay at a hotel or um an Airbnb or a V VRBO is 3.6% per night. Um so or on the t number or the total of their um hotel stay. That gets paid to the city um on a quarterly basis. And that is how my department is funded. Um so last year, for instance, we took in um approximately $300,000 in tourism tax. So obviously, my motto is um uh heads in beds is what I want to see for people who come to Kirksville. Um it it helps with the marketing, it helps um fund some of the other um, you know, like the wayfinding signs that I helped do, or the welcome to Kirksville signs, um the downtown murals, um, so the the continued beautification of Kirksville um that makes it a welcoming community and and the marketing of it. So those funds that are taken in, I try to put back out into the community um and into marketing why I think people should come to Kirksville.
SPEAKER_01So to further break that down, that means the more people that you get to come here and stay in a hotel, they are funding the things you're able to do locally.
SPEAKER_00Yep, that's right. Mm-hmm.
SPEAKER_01And so that I that's a very interesting dynamic of because I think people hear um tax and they get worried about things like that. But this is only on hotel stays, people who are then traveling from elsewhere coming here and they're helping improve things in our community.
SPEAKER_00That's right. Yep. And yeah, and and the things that I'm doing to do that are 100% funded by the tourism tax. You know, we got a couple of new swim docks over the last uh couple of years that I partnered with the Parks and Rec department on. That was funded by the tourism tax, the murals that I put money in my budget for to um help beautify downtown that I'm working in collaboration with the Arts Association, that is funded by the tourism tax. The fireworks that we're doing in a few weeks up at North Park, that comes a large portion out of my um department that's funded by tourism tax. The locals um and the community members, they aren't paying for that. That is visitors who come here um to spend the evening and stay in our hotels, and that is where that money comes from.
SPEAKER_01What does that do for you planning wise to have some kind of set metrics and goals that you can see what they come in as and what they can turn into?
SPEAKER_00Well, obviously, you know, I have to make sure that we have events, we have things that people come here to take advantage of. Otherwise, um, you know, I might not have as much money to work with. Um, you know, I do have a slush fund. Um, I have to have a certain amount in my budget every year. You know, I really have to to keep an eye on how much we're bringing in. Um, and then that uh affects what I put into my budgets uh the following years.
SPEAKER_01And then you have the tourism advisory board. Can you talk a little bit about that and the uh the partner partnership application?
SPEAKER_00Yep. So I have an 11 uh person tourism advisory board. Um and we meet uh once a month, and um we have a Truman State rep, we have an ATSU person, we have a hotel person, um, and then um a Chamber of Commerce uh board member is on there, and then the rest are community members who want to be a part of that board to uh support what tourism uh does uh in the community and uh around Missouri. So one of the things that they have is it's called a tourism partnership application. And if you are going to be having an event um and you need help with marketing or um assistance in uh you know we we like for people to use it for the marketing of it. Um if that's flyers, um, uh radio, TV, print, billboard. Um and the one the one uh rule for that application is that the group has to have had the event one year on its own, and then on year two, um they are eligible to um apply for it.
SPEAKER_01Um so that is some assistance for local organizations that maybe need a little bit of a resource here or there to boost what they're doing.
SPEAKER_00And obviously we like to see um, you know, them to market to people to come into Kirksville because that ultimately is what we want. And that uh is another um another uh activity or event that helps fund my department if these events bring in people who stay in hotels. So it's like a it's just like a vicious circle. So um, you know, there are a number of great community events, um, but that's not the goal of the the Tours and Partnership Funds to fund those. It's it's to bring people in. So like the Nemo Fair or the Livestock Symposium, or things like that, who really bring people in for the weekend, the Whiskey Turkey Festival, things like that.
SPEAKER_01Where can people find more information on that if they have something that maybe fits that bill?
SPEAKER_00Well, feel free to contact me or um you can look on our website and there is an area that uh talks about the tourism partnership uh application. So uh that is on on the VisitKirksville.com website.
SPEAKER_01Aaron Powell Well, Sharon, is there anything else we didn't cover?
SPEAKER_00No. Um not really. It just um this this community really uh should be proud of the things that it does and uh the things that it offers for community members and people who come to visit. So um I'm glad I landed here in Kirksville. So thank you.
SPEAKER_01Well, Sharon, I appreciate your time and talking a little about what you got going on this summer.
SPEAKER_00Okay. Thanks, Austin.
SPEAKER_01Thank you. Thanks again for listening to this month's episode. If you're enjoying the show, make sure to share with your family and friends. The whole goal of the show is to help inform residents about who is working behind the scenes for them. As a reminder, the Red, Wide, and Blue Festival happened in Kirksville July 3rd and 4th. It'll be a great weekend full of fun, so make sure to come out and enjoy. For a full schedule, check out VisitKirksville.com. That way you don't miss out on one of the awesome events that comprise the festival. Stay tuned for July's episode, or we'll take a trip to the sky to talk about all the exciting things happening at Kirksville Regional Airport.