Retail committee looks at parade route

During the Retail Committee Meeting Friday, members considered getting the Pageant Days parade route changed to make the parade go through the park.

As the majority of events already go on in the park, committee members listlessly agreed moving the parade from downtown to the park is sensible.

However, Dan Herdt pointed out that although he agrees with the change, some retailers might not.

“It’s not going to gain the retailers much to start on Senior Avenue and end in the park,” Herdt said.

Chamber of Commerce Director Meri Ann Rush said she would see if moving the route is possible.

Additionally, Herdt pointed out that having Pageant Days, the Folk Festival and the craft fair all in one day seems like a good idea compared to spreading everything out into different weekends.

“It seems like as retailers we’ve had something every weekend but it was never enough,” he said.

In the past few weeks some community members have voiced concerns that having too many events on the same day could cause problems.

The committee also discussed next year’s Christmas shopping holiday. Currently, the committee is trying to raise $500 from businesses to use as raffle winnings. The Travel and Tourism board is expected to match the money raised up to $500.

Businesses are being asked to donate $25 each. In return, they would be recognized during the raffle.

“$25 dollars for advertising, you can’t beat that,” Amanda Moeller said.

That money would then be raffled off to anyone who enters the raffle. The goal is to bring enough people in that the money raffled off will bring in enough business to pay for itself.

Members also discussed when the raffle would be and how much would be raffled off.

“This is the first year we’re doing it, so we can tailor it how we want,” Rush said.

Currently, the plan is to raffle off a $200, $300 and $500 award. Money would be disbursed as chamber bucks.

The raffle date is tentatively set for December 19.

The committee also talked about possibly starting a bike-sharing program in Thermopolis.

Members felt that having a bike-sharing program in town would both increase the aesthetic appeal in town, and help promote Thermopolis as a health and healing destination.

“I would rather have a bike rack in front of my store instead of a flower pot,” Deb Tudor said.

Other members said asking the high school welding class to help build bike racks could be a method to get the program started.

The current plan is to lend the bikes out on an honor system.

The next meeting of the Retail Committee is June 5 at 8 a.m.