PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) – The Gateway Building on the Peoria Riverfront hosted a press conference this morning which showcased publicly funded tourism opportunities and their effect on the local economy.
State Representative Jehan Gordon-Booth was among those who spoke at the event, which highlighted specific events such as Park-a-Palooza, a festival that would generate an estimated $500,000 in economic impact on the local community. The event will happen from June 8-10 and is possible due to public funding and the work of the Peoria Park District.
Gordon-Booth discussed the importance of how this would affect Peoria’s economy. “People are going to stay in our hotels, and dine in our fine dining facilities right here in Peoria, so that adds to the tourism base, to the economic base of this community.”
The three-day Park-a-Palooza festival would feature activities such as the world’s largest bounce house, an obstacle course, a drone light show, and a concert from Ashley McBryde featuring Chase Wright. It would be the first time Peoria has hosted the festival.
Emily Cahill, Executive Director of the Peoria Park District, is excited about the possibilities this funding can bring. “These kinds of dollars let us dream and let us try things our regular operating dollars wouldn’t and everybody who benefits from that lives right here, which is really cool.”
To learn more about Park-A-Palooza and to reserve tickets, visit www.peoriaparks.org/pap/
