Tourism commission OKs $5K for bicentennial

Harrison County Convention & Visitors Bureau Executive Director Jim Epperson Thursday afternoon said plans are well underway for the Indiana Bicentennial celebration, set for 2016, and asked the tourism commission (at their regularly scheduled meeting) for $5,000 to get a website started.
‘It needs to be developed early to publicize sponsorships,’ he said.
The Harrison County Bicentennial Committee, created about a year ago, has been working on a sponsorship package to offer local businesses.
Epperson said an estimated total needed has not been determined, but it will most likely at least match the $70,000 raised for Corydon’s bicentennial.
The HCCVB also gave $5,000 for the Corydon bicentennial event.
The request for the $5,000 was approved and will be sent through the claims process at the tourism commission’s next meeting, but the approval gave Epperson permission to move forward with the website, which will be www.indianabicentennial.com or org.
‘There’s a lot of work underway that needs to be showcased online,’ he said.
Epperson also informed the commission that Main Street Corydon has again reformed (along with the Develop Downtown Corydon group) and will act as the financial arm for the Indiana Bicentennial celebration in Harrison County.
Early ideas for the bicentennial celebration include possibly holding the state’s General Assembly for a day in Corydon and some sort of re-enactment near the Constitution Elm.
There will be a statewide, but also local, focus to the celebration, Epperson said.
In other business, commission member Larry Bennett said he understood Indiana Caverns surpassed 10,000 visitors recently. The show cave opened in June.
Commission member Claudia Yundt said Squire Boone Caverns will soon open a ‘kiddie zip line’ for youngsters.
‘The kids should get a big kick out of that; I’m excited,’ she said.