Franklin County Bicentennial Celebration Update

Franklin County will be celebrating its 200th year in 2019.   As a member of their marketing committee, I wanted to share their website and facebook page.  Additionally, we are working to come up with a variety of marketing/promotional campaigns.
 
Marketing ideas are coming together, so I wanted to reach out each of our members to let you know about one idea  …a public art project.  Some of you may be familiar with the St. Louis 250th birthday cakes.  If not, these were fiberglass cakes placed throughout the St. Louis region as far out as Franklin County.  The cakes were a huge success, drawing tourists, art lovers, and people who enjoy a good scavenger hunt.  We are considering doing something similar, but on a smaller scale, and instead of cakes, kites! When you think of Ben Franklin (for whom our county is named), you think of the kite experiment.  Also, the kites would be made of stainless steel, to withstand the elements.
 
The kites will be approximately 5-feet tall, including the tail, and can hang on a building or they can be free-standing (with the proper equipment.) We are wanting sponsors who will display a kite painted by themselves or by a local artist. These kites will be on display from approximately March through the end of 2019, which is the county’s bicentennial. Similar to the St. Louis cakes, people will be looking to find all of the kites throughout the county. The sponsors will have the opportunity to use this as a draw to their business or destination. At the end of the year, prizes will be given to “hunt winners”. The sponsorship is a $200 investment, but we believe the marketing value will certainly out-weigh the cost. We hope this county-wide bicentennial project has piqued your interest and will want to participate when the kites become available!

Mary Beth Rettke
Washington Tourism Director

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