Westmoreland County awards more than $600K in annual tourism grants

A museum dedicated to firefighting and an enterprise that promotes business-boosting events in Greensburg are among more than 50 groups that will get a share of more than $600,000 in Westmoreland County tourism funding next year.

The county commissioners this week approved 58 tourism grants for 2024, drawing upon money generated through the county’s 5% hotel tax.

The grants include $1,680 for the Greensburg Volunteer Fire Department Museum and $10,000 for the Downtown Greensburg Project, both repeat recipients.

It’s the second grant in as many years for the fire department, helping it to revive efforts to promote awareness of the museum.

A 2023 grant of $1,523 allowed the museum to renew its lapsed membership with the Go Laurel Highlands regional tourism agency and to update a promotional card that is stocked in area tourism information racks, according to Lauren Koker, volunteer and publicist with the museum.

“It’s a very valuable partnership,” Koker said of the agency membership. “We’re included in their destination guide and website and we can be part of their brochure distribution.”

Koker said the number of visitors to the museum has jumped. Richard Johnson, vice president of the museum board, indicated site visits have roughly doubled, to about 200.

Still, Koker said, “Our museum is kind of hidden behind Greensburg City Hall. People still don’t really know where we are.”

The 2024 grant, she said, will be used to print more promotional cards and for signs to be placed along Main and Pennsylvania streets during hours when the museum is open.

This year, the museum has expanded its traditional hours — on the second Tuesday and fourth Saturday of each month — by also opening during the monthly Greensburg Night Market. Organized by the Downtown Greensburg Project, that event limits several blocks of Pennsylvania to pedestrians, attracting visitors to browse among vendors and enjoy food and live music.

Near the end of its fifth year, the Night Market “has gotten way bigger than I ever thought it could be,” said Downtown Greensburg Project owner Jessica Hickey, who has seen the event grow from one block to four blocks. “I’m excited to see what happens in the coming years,” she said.

Last year, the project received a $12,043 tourism grant. Hickey said the funding helps with costs of signage, billboards and social media efforts to promote the Night Market and another event she organizes, Greensburg Craft Beer Week.

“It’s fantastic for us, and it helps bring people into the Greensburg area,” she said.

The Ligonier Valley Historical Society has been a frequent tourism grant recipient, using the money to help promote events at its historic Compass Inn Museum in Laughlintown to residents from outside the area. It was granted $20,180 this year and is set to receive $20,000 in 2024.

“We’ve been doing a lot more Facebook marketing and reaching out farther and wider, through public radio announcements, to let people from out of state know where we are,” said Theresa Gay Rohall, executive director of the historical society.

Recent visitors to the museum have traveled from Ohio and Virginia, she said.

Historically, the majority of county tourism grant recipients have used the money for marketing efforts. Some also have applied the funding toward capital improvements.