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Capital City prepares for Independence Day celebration

July 3, 2008 By

4th of July staging Preparations are nearly complete as the Capital City gets ready for its annual Independence Day celebration.

The two-day celebration features carnivals for the kids in downtown Jefferson City, plenty of food, music and an elaborate fireworks display, shot from a barge on the Missouri River over the State Capitol the night of the 4th.

The celebration is called Salute to America . It begins this evening with a parade a 6 o’clock, leading in to opening ceremonies this evening a 7:30pm. A Beatles tribute group, FabForever, performs on the stage in front of the Capitol.

Festivities continue tomorrow throughout the day. Starship with Mickey Thomas performs at 7 o’clock on the stage in front of the Capitol. Fireworks begin when it gets dark.

Tens of thousands annually attend the celebration, but Jefferson City expects even more this year because of high gas prices. The city is prepared for a crowd of 50,000 as Missourians choose to stay close to home to celebrate Independence Day.

Filed Under: Human Interest, Recreation & Entertainment Tagged With: ,

Gov. Blunt begins trip to encourage Missourians to vacation close to home

June 1, 2008 By

Planning a vacation, but gas prices got you down? Governor Blunt suggests you stay close to home and explore what your own state has to offer. The governor and his family hope to lead by example. They have planned a three-day trip through the state.

Blunt and his family today hop into an RV to tour 12 Missouri state parks and historic sites. The trip begins at the Dillard Mill State Historic Site in Davisville. The birthplace of Mark Twain in Florida, the boyhood home of John J. Pershing in Laclede and the art studio of Thomas Hart Benton in Kansas City are on the itinerary, as are battlefields, settlements, and other historic sites.

What interests the governor the most?

"I’m probably most interested in those sites that relate to our early settlement," Blunt tells the Missourinet.

The governor and family will visit Ste. Genevieve, settled by the French, then get a taste of Germany’s influence on Missouri by stopping by Hermann. Ft. Davidson at Pilot Knob, the scene of one of Missouri’s bloodiest battles, and the Battle of Lexington are stops as the governor explores the state’s role in the Civil War.

Blunt hopes his trip encourages other Missourians to stay close to home this summer.

"The bottom line is we have some great sites to see in Missouri, some wonderful people to be around, to take some time off with your family," says Blunt, "With high gasoline prices, you don’t have to drive halfway across the country. We’ve got some great things to do right here."

The Blunts conclude their trip with a visit to Jefferson City to dedicate the Lewis and Clark Trailhead monument.

 

Gov. Matt Blunt’s Show-Me Tourism Tour

Download/listen Brent Martin reports (1:20 MP3)

Filed Under: Recreation & Entertainment Tagged With: , ,

Missouri Division of Tourism Annual Report Indicates Tourism Remains Vital Part of Economy

March 4, 2008 By

The Missouri Division of Tourism has released its annual report, which touts the importance of the tourist trade to the state’s economy. Tourism Director Blaine Luetkemeyer says funding received by the Division in Fiscal Year 2007 paid huge dividends – with state sales tax revenue increased 5.7 percent to $404.7 millon, and the number of people employed in the industry up 1.6 percent to a record 293,584.

Luetkemeyer says a big part of the success this past year was the Tour of Missouri bicycle race, which brought attention to Missouri from many Europeans who might not have heard of this state prior to the event. He points out that for every dollar the state of Missouri invests in marketing tourism, $49.47 is returned in visitor expenditures. Missouri is attempting to increase its tourism reach by targeting advertising at the Canadian and United Kingdom markets, as well as going after baby boomers and young families here at home. The Division’s new slogan is, "Close to home. Far from Ordinary."

Luetkemeyer says many Americans and foreigners want to come to the Midwest and Missouri must present itself as the home of Mark Twain, Jesse James, Route 66, and other pieces of Americana.

Download/Listen: Lieutenant Governor Peter Kinder / Tourism Director Blaine Luetkemeyer deliver Annual Report on Tourism (27:00 MP3)
Download/Listen: Steve Walsh report (:60 MP3)

Filed Under: Politics & Government Tagged With:

Ground Broken on Lewis and Clark Monument

October 5, 2007 By

Ground Breaking Ceremony A little over a year after the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial celebration came to a close, a groundbreaking ceremony has been held on the State Capitol grounds for the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Monument.

Musicians warmed the crowd for the ceremonial groundbreaking, though much ground has already been moved. Jefferson City Lewis and Clark Task Force Chairman Sally Sprague points out that her group has worked for seven years to make the monument a reality and jokes that it, "Certainly has taken us a little longer to come to this day than it took the Lewis (and) Clark expedition to explore the Louisiana Purchase."

The bronze monument will depict four members of the Lewis and Clark party, larger than life-size, standing on the Capitol campus between the Capitol and the Governor’s Mansion.

State Historical Society Executive Director Gary Kremer says Missourians should understand the significance of their journey after the three-year celebration of it. Kremer hopes the monument will spark more interest in reading and studying about the Lewis and Clark exploration of the West.

Download/listen Brent Martin reports (:60 MP3)

Filed Under: Miscellaneous Tagged With:

Some of Biggest Names in Bicycle Racing are in Missouri

September 11, 2007 By

Some of the biggest names of bicycle racing start the week-long Tour of Missouri this afternoon with an 85-mile race from Kansas City into Platte County and back.  Tomorrow they’ll race 126 miles from Clinton to Springfield.

For those who don’t quite grasp the importance of the race, the executive director of Missouri Bicycle Federation calls it the Super Bowl on wheels.

It will be a historic race because it will be the last time the Discovery Channel team will race together on American soil.  The team has dominated bicycle racing since Lance Armstrong began winning the Tour de France.  Team member Alberto Contador won this year’s Tour de France and will race in the Tour of Missouri.

Filed Under: Human Interest, Sports Tagged With: ,
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