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Mesquite, NV - 2009 Pow Wow Cancelled
Pow Wow A No Go
Mesquite Local News
By Morris Workman 10-10-2008
The Native American Pow Wow which brought thousands of performers and spectators to Mesquite in January will not be repeated.
At least, not in 2009.
The Pow Wow has been cancelled.
The committee which oversees the event decided last week to forego the Pow Wow next year due to a lack of sponsors.
“With the economy the way it is, we couldn’t get the cash sponsors we needed to cover expenses,” said Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Bill McClure.
While the event was a cultural and attendance success, it was not a moneymaker for the Chamber.
According to one Chamber member, the event lost money this year, in spite of the lineup of nearly 50 businesses which participated and donated toward the celebration.
Without additional backing from local businesses, the Chamber decided not to take a chance in ’09.
This year’s event drew thousands of performers from all over the continent, displaying colorful traditional Native American wear and sharing their rituals and dances with the crowd.
Due to the size of the performance area in the CasaBlanca event center, the number of spectators permitted in the tent was limited, leading to complaints about the viewing area and lack of seating.
However, the venue was repeatedly sold out during the weekend, and those who saw the performances marveled at the beauty and pageantry.
According to a statement from McClure earlier this year, the Pow Wow was “the largest event in Mesquite’s history.”
It was estimated that as many as 15,000 performers and spectators flocked to the city for the weekend.
While the influx of visitors was impressive, some local business people suggested that the numbers didn’t translate into dollars for a lot of merchants.
“The grocery stores and fast food places did well, but others didn’t see any increase,” said one Chamber member.
Even if a number of businesses did not benefit directly from the event, the national exposure and buzz about Mesquite in so many corners of the United States and Canada certainly had a positive overall effect.
And that’s why the Chamber isn’t giving up.
“If the economy picks up and we have a venue, we’ll look at it for 2010,” McClure said.
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Man, I was looking forward to this again.... oh well...
Mesquite Local News
By Morris Workman 10-10-2008
The Native American Pow Wow which brought thousands of performers and spectators to Mesquite in January will not be repeated.
At least, not in 2009.
The Pow Wow has been cancelled.
The committee which oversees the event decided last week to forego the Pow Wow next year due to a lack of sponsors.
“With the economy the way it is, we couldn’t get the cash sponsors we needed to cover expenses,” said Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Bill McClure.
While the event was a cultural and attendance success, it was not a moneymaker for the Chamber.
According to one Chamber member, the event lost money this year, in spite of the lineup of nearly 50 businesses which participated and donated toward the celebration.
Without additional backing from local businesses, the Chamber decided not to take a chance in ’09.
This year’s event drew thousands of performers from all over the continent, displaying colorful traditional Native American wear and sharing their rituals and dances with the crowd.
Due to the size of the performance area in the CasaBlanca event center, the number of spectators permitted in the tent was limited, leading to complaints about the viewing area and lack of seating.
However, the venue was repeatedly sold out during the weekend, and those who saw the performances marveled at the beauty and pageantry.
According to a statement from McClure earlier this year, the Pow Wow was “the largest event in Mesquite’s history.”
It was estimated that as many as 15,000 performers and spectators flocked to the city for the weekend.
While the influx of visitors was impressive, some local business people suggested that the numbers didn’t translate into dollars for a lot of merchants.
“The grocery stores and fast food places did well, but others didn’t see any increase,” said one Chamber member.
Even if a number of businesses did not benefit directly from the event, the national exposure and buzz about Mesquite in so many corners of the United States and Canada certainly had a positive overall effect.
And that’s why the Chamber isn’t giving up.
“If the economy picks up and we have a venue, we’ll look at it for 2010,” McClure said.
----------------
Man, I was looking forward to this again.... oh well...
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