The Hernando County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) has awarded $4,000 in grants to a favorite area boat race and a new festival focused on literary arts.
The grants are funded by the 5 percent “bed tax” collected by hotels and privately owned vacation rentals.
Tourism Director Tammy Heon presented the BOCC with the requests received by the Tourism Development Council (TDC). This year, the Hernando Beach Marina requested $1,500 for the Oct. 5 Hernando Beach Cardboard Boat Race. This is the first year they have applied for the grant to bolster their marketing. Revenues from the Boat Race will benefit the Children’s Advocacy Center.
The newcomer this year is “Booksville – a Celebration of the Literary Arts in Hernando County.” Held by the GFWC Historic Brooksville Women’s Club, this festival will feature book and poetry readings, a poetry contest, free vendor booths for all attending writers, a cookbook exchange and a “book shower” to benefit Little Free Libraries.
Commissioner Brian Hawkins added that Booksville will also feature a spelling bee. “These are the good things that come from VRBOs (Vacation Rentals by Owner), Airbnbs and hotel rooms, because the Tourism Department is funded by bed tax. All of that comes in, and by state statute, we are only allowed to spend it on tourism.”
There is currently $50,000 budgeted for tourism grant funding.
