Over $1 Million in Cumberland County Tourism Grants Awarded

CUMBERLAND VALLEY, PA (September 9, 2024)

The Cumberland Valley Visitors Bureau, the destination marketing arm of the Cumberland Area Economic Development Corporation (CAEDC), has awarded grants to 15 tourism projects totaling $1,117,119.88, with total project costs of $1,884,317.88 in the first nine months of the relaunched Tourism Grant Programs.

In Q4 2023, CAEDC announced three Tourism Grant Programs: the Destination Sales Grant, the Tourism Product Development Grant, and the Tourism Recovery Grant. Each grant requires matching funds of $0.50 for every $1.00 in grant award.

CAEDC previously had a variety of available tourism grants that were active from 2010 – 2020. Through these programs, 199 awards were made totaling nearly $1.9 million.

CAEDC would like to thank the Cumberland County Commissioners for supporting the relaunch of the tourism grants by approving a Cumberland County Recovery Grant for $500,000 in November 2022.

The following projects received funding through June 2024:

Destination Sales Grants

Designed to bring in larger events to Cumberland County. Applicants can apply for things like bid fees, marketing, advertising, shuttle, and facility rentals, including conference rooms, sports fields, and outdoor space.

Big 33 Classic Football Game – Awarded $300,000 ($100,000 for 3 years)

o   The Big 33 Football Game moved from Dauphin County to Cumberland Valley High School in May, and all Big 33 related events are transitioning to Cumberland County, including the football game, coaching clinic and more for 2024, 2025 and 2026.

Carlisle YMCA – Awarded $15,220.53

o   The grant award assisted with operating costs of the YMCA’s second annual Carlisle Crush Volleyball Tournament. This three-day tournament was estimated to bring 200 teams of all skill levels to Cumberland Valley.

Tourism Product Development Grants (TPD)

The TPD Grant is awarded to projects developing new tourism product or enhancing existing tourism product. Projects should have a focus on increasing the amount of time a visitor spends in-market.

Talking Breads – Awarded $236,000.00

o   The grant award will help fund a major expansion of the current market to include increased bakery size and production capacity, retail and indoor seating areas.

Carlisle Regional Performing Arts Center, Inc. – Awarded $223,940.67

o   The grant award will be utilized for technical upgrades to lighting and sound equipment as part of a larger theatre overhaul. The technical upgrades will help the theatre stay competitive with other theatres and reduce the amount of leased equipment needed for shows.

The SpleX – Awarded $131,761.00 

o   The grant award was utilized to install an air conditioning unit, allowing The SpleX to host sporting events year-round and attract summer camps and tournaments.

Lounge 611 –Awarded $60,000.00

o   The grant award allowed for finishing items to create a new, high-end cigar lounge in downtown Mechanicsburg, adding nightlife opportunities and attracting niche audiences from drive markets for cigar rolling and appreciation classes.

Jubilee Cake Studio – Awarded $57,208.00 

o   The grant award assisted with the purchase of five playhouses to expand Jubilee Cake Studio’s Indoor Play Area in Mechanicsburg.

The Silver Scoop – $27,476.40 

o   The grant award will help add an outdoor seating and event area to the new ice cream shop located near Cumberland Valley High School, creating an all-ages nightlife opportunity for families and traveling sports teams.

Downtown Carlisle Association – Awarded $27,221.49

o   The grant award will fund downtown beautification projects including a visitor kiosk, community bulletin board, reproduction of the Molly Pitcher Mural, crosswalk painting, and planters and well gardens throughout the C1 District.

Tourism Recovery Grants

The Tourism Recovery Grant is focused on getting projects at tourism businesses that were put on-hold during the pandemic moving again. Eligible projects include deferred maintenance, equipment and machinery purchase, marketing to new markets and starting new initiatives that were put on hold.

Carlisle Bowen Works –$10,000.00

o   The grant award will assist with costs of a larger building upgrade project, including replacing the tile flooring throughout the facility.

Cumberland County Historical Society – $10,000.00

o   The grant award was utilized to assist with deferred maintenance to their main meeting space. This grant was part of a larger building upgrade project to ensure the facility’s utilization for future generations.

Newville Historical Society – $6,330.00 

o   The grant award will install an HVAC system to control moisture and cooling in exhibit space.

Carlisle Productions – $6,269.12

o   The grant award will assist with addition of audio/visual elements like speakers, microphones and more in an existing, rentable meeting room to attract meetings.

Cumberland Valley Bed & Breakfast Association – $3,180.00

o   The grant award will assist with funding two, one-day photo shoots for properties that were not able to participate in a previous photo shoots arranged by the Cumberland Valley Bed & Breakfast Association. Originally, a tourism grant had been awarded in early 2020 to fund all of the locations, but was cancelled due to the pandemic.

Historic Carlisle – $2,512.67

o   The grant award will fund 12 sign panels to replace faded signage on the downtown Carlisle Waymarker Tour. This self-guided tour features over 30 signs highlighting historic sites in Carlisle.

A spokesperson for the SpleX stated “Adding air conditioning to The SpleX was a dream that came to life because of the Tourism Grant Program. With the help of the grant, we were able to move forward with the project that likely would have been 5 years into the future. The improvement will have a huge impact on The SpleX, the commercial tenants that conduct business at The SpleX , the community members that utilize the many recreational sports activities held at The SpleX, and the surrounding businesses. This is a project that will amplify business and customer experience for so many, and the impact will be felt for years to come.”

Awarded Projects submitted an application, which had to be reviewed and approved by CAEDC’s Tourism Committee, followed by CAEDC’s Finance Committee.

The new set of grant funding is currently available, and interested applicants should contact CAEDC’s Tourism Development Manager, Ashley Kurtz at [email protected] for the TPD and Recovery grants and Patrick Bourque at [email protected] for the Destination Sales grant.

In October 2023, the Cumberland County Commissioners agreed to raise the Hotel Occupancy Tax in Cumberland County from 3% to the allowable 5% to allow for current and future grant funding. CAEDC marked increased funding for tourism grants as one of the top uses for additional funding, along with increased marketing and advertising initiatives to attract overnight visitors.

“Our goal is to drive tourism in Cumberland County, whether that be increasing overnight visits, or helping local businesses maximize their potential offerings. The Cumberland Valley Tourism grants are a major factor in bringing in new events like the Big 33, creating new experiences, and assisting in pandemic-related recovery” said CAEDC’s Director of Tourism & Marketing, Kristen Rowe.

About CAEDC

CAEDC is Cumberland County’s lead economic development agency charged with leveraging and promoting Cumberland Valley’s economic development and tourism assets to drive growth, create jobs and improve the quality of life. Offices are located at 230 S. Sporting Hill Road, Suite 100, Mechanicsburg, PA 17050. For more information, visit www.cumberlandbusiness.com and www.visitcumberlandvalley.com