A week-long scavenger hunt, prizes, a newly created award and a reception are part of the National Tourism Week celebration that will be sponsored next week by the Convention and Visitors Bureau at the Emporia Chamber of Commerce.
All of the activities are open to the public.
The theme for the week is “Be a Tourist in Your Own Back Yard” to encourage people to stay in town, perhaps renting a motel room, sightseeing and exploring where they haven’t been before, and taking in plays or performances or attending activities they normally do not participate in.
Such “stay-cations” introduce participants to new experiences in Emporia and the area, while saving money and keeping it circulating in Emporia, according to Susan Rathke, sales and service coordinator for the CVB.
Entries for the scavenger hunt may be picked up at the Trusler Business Center, 719 Commercial St. The contest begins officially on Monday. Forms should be returned to the center when the entries are completed.
Drawings for prizes from entries in the hunt will be held during the reception, which is open to the public, from 4 to 6 p.m. May 15, in the Granada Theatre. The top winner will be announced about 6 p.m., near the end of the reception. The grand prize will be an Emporia Stay-cation and the winner must be present when his or her name is drawn.
Popcorn, soft drinks and bottled water will be provided to those who attend the reception. A variety of information and brochures will be set out about tourist sites and activities here, including the David Traylor Zoo of Emporia, the All-Veterans Memorial, the William Allen White Historic Home, and other activities.
Rathke said that during the reception, the CVB will present its first “Friend in Tourism” award to Roger Heineken, a former city commissioner and an expert in Emporia’s history, who has donated considerable time to the CVB to help promote the city.