More Events Are Planned To Draw Tourism To Holbrook

“It was a big success,” Smith noted. “People came in from all over the country for the behind the scenes relics tour.”

According to Smith, the tour was the first of its kind and generated excitement among Route 66 enthusiasts who traveled great distances to be among the first to view the remainders of the Mother Road inside the Petrified Forest National Park. She noted that visitors from around the world are already planning trips to include the festival and tour in 2015.

Wild West Days was also well attended, and Smith explained that the city is placing a special emphasis on activities that attract families to the event.

“We will continue to add more and more things for families,” she said.

In addition to the usual annual events such as the Fourth of July celebration and Parade of Lights, Smith reported that several were added, including the Dog Days of Summer, which allowed residents to bring their dogs to the pool on a special day, and the Petrified Forest Marathon, which attracted local and visiting runners.

“People are already signing up for this year’s event,” Smith noted regarding the marathon.

The new location of the cultural dances at Gillespie Park was also a hit. Attendance was up, and the dances drew attention from visitors traveling down main street who could not miss the festive activity taking place at one of the main intersections.

“It was a good location and a success,” she said.

In 2015, several new events are already in the planning stage. Smith noted that in May a “dirty bird mud run” is scheduled and is expected to draw visitors into Holbrook. Citywide neighborhood block parties are also on the agenda.

“We’ll have one in April and then another again in the fall with a theme,” Smith remarked.

She explained that the point of the block parties is to build a sense of community among neighbors. Plans are still being finalized, but Smith noted that she hopes to have a central purpose for each party, such as presentations by law enforcement about improving home security. She is hopeful that neighborhood block watch groups might form as a result of the parties, but she has not yet had an opportunity to fully investigate the program.

In October, a Ragnar relay race will be held along the same route used by the Hashknife Pony Express to make the mail run to Scottsdale. Smith noted that the timing of the race will help bring visitors into Holbrook right as the traditional tourist season is tapering off. Ragnar races are run tag-team style with teams of 11 runners each competing against each other.

Smith also reported that plans for 2016 are already starting, and the city will be partnering with the Petrified Forest to hold a cultural event on the first and third Fridays of each month to celebrate the National Park Service centennial.

“We’ve got a lot going, but we hope to keep doing more and bring in more visitors to Holbrook,” she said.