SIDNEY -- The Cheyenne County Commissioners Monday approved tourism grants for the Cheyenne County Fair, Potter Carbowl, Sidney Gold Rush Days and Cheyenne County Community Center's Wood Bat Tournament.

Cheyenne County Tourism Director Kendra Mitchell said it has been four years since Sidney hosted a Wood Bat Tournament.

"This tournament hasn't been held in Sidney since 2021. So, we're excited to have this back. The Visitors Committee is recommending a $1,350 grant for this tournament. That's to pay for umpires and medals. In 2021, they received $2,000," Mitchell said.

Sidney Gold Rush Days is June 13-15. The Visitor Committee recommended a $4,800 Promotions grant, a $300 increase from 2024. Gold Rush Days committee treasurer Ken Geu said they will be advertising in the Panhandle from Chadron south to Northeast Colorado. 

"Basically, Panhandle up to Chadron, and then into Northeast Colorado. Most of it is radio that goes into Northeast Colorado, a little bit into Wyoming. all the way up to Chadron. and then east to Ogallala. There's a little bit in there for social media that we target. We definitely do locally. We have our posters locally and then of course News Channel Nebraska, and we are doing our newspaper insert again that goes out in the Sidney Sun Telegraph. And we'll hand those out at the event also," Geu said.

Potter Carbowl is June 27-28. Mitchell said the Visitors Committee recommended a $6,000 Promotions grant.

"That is the same amount they received last year," she said.

The Cheyenne County Fair is July 19-26. The Visitor Committee recommended $7,400 for marketing. The marketing grant was approved.

Commissioner Randy Miller asked if there is a way to track attendance at local events. 

"We are still waiting on the City to vote on extending the Placer AI subscription for this coming year. It currently ends in the end of June," she said.

Mitchell said nearly all of her marketing data comes from Placer AI. She added some events provide data that is difficult to check.

"They don't have a lot of verifiable data. They guessed based on how crowded it looks to them. So I get numbers like 300 to 600, and that's not very accurate. And we don't know where they're coming from without that Placer data. The sports tournaments, and I think the Carbowl at the car registration, they can provide those to me now. They are doing those digitally so they can provide all those registrations we can tell where the cars are coming from, but its hard to tell where the people are coming from," she said.

Mitchell said the Fair can track attendance because most of their ticket sales are digital.