Fostoria Area Visitors Bureau Seeking Sponsors for a 2019/2020 Outdoor Sculpture Exhibit

Pledges requested by November 1^st

(Fostoria, Ohio) – Due to the overwhelmingly positive response to the current Midwest Sculpture Initiative exhibit currently being hosted in Fostoria, the Fostoria Area Visitors Bureau has released sponsorship levels to fund being a host community again in 2019/2020.

To participate as a host community, the Midwest Sculpture Initiative group asks for a commitment to fund at least eight sculptures for an outdoor exhibit that is in place for one approximately one year. In the summer of 2017, Michele Cochran, Community Development/Tourism Director, had placed Fostoria on the waiting list to be a host community.

In November 2017, the Midwest Sculpture Initiative administrator called Cochran to explain that he had an opening if Fostoria was interested in participating as a host community in 2018-2019. She accepted the invitation for Fostoria to be a host community and worked to secure funding for the exhibit, receiving grants from the Greater Fostoria Community Foundation as well as the Henry H. Geary, Jr. Memorial Foundation. Eight pieces were installed in Fostoria on May 31^st and will be here through April/May 2019.

Because the Visitors Bureau will receive a call this fall to see if Fostoria would like to be a host community for a 2019/2020 exhibit, the Fostoria Area Visitors Bureau is seeking financial sponsorship pledges by November 1^st. Donations of any amount are appreciated. Gifts given at the following levels will receive special recognition in all exhibit marketing materials: Platinum – $2,000+, Gold $1,000+, Silver $500+ and Bronze $250+. Payment is requested by March 1, 2019.

A sponsorship pledge form is available from the Fostoria Area Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau website at: http://fostoriachamber.com/sculpturepledge/  Completed forms should be mailed to 121 N. Main Street, Fostoria or emailed to Michele Cochran, Community Development/Tourism Director at development@fostoriachamber.com.

Kid’s Christmas Makers Market

The Chamber is hosting the first ever Kid’s Christmas Makers Market in the hours leading up to the Rotary Holiday Parade on Saturday, December 1.  The Kid’s Christmas Makers Market is a way to encourage and empower youth with the entrepreneurial spirit while creating additional foot traffic in our downtown and into local businesses.

The Kid’s Christmas Makers Market is open to youth under the age of 18 who would like to set up and sell handmade items at their own tables housed in various downtown businesses.

For youth to participate in the Kid’s Christmas Makers Market they must submit an application to the Chamber by October 1.

All kid maker items to be sold must be handmade, only two like sellers will be accepted and kid makers must provide their own table and chairs.  Kid makers will be paired with participating downtown businesses and will set up in their partner business location during the hours of the market.  Pairings will be made by the Chamber and pairings will not be made that place kid maker and business in direct competition.  The Kid’s Maker Market will run 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., on Saturday, December 1.

According to Sarah Stephens Krupp, Chamber/Small Business Director, “Our goal is to capture and increase holiday parade traffic, with

friends and family of the kid makers, and have them experience our downtown to not only support the kid makers but to also give our local businesses added exposure and help kick of the holiday shopping season.”

The Chamber will promote the Kid’s Christmas Makers Market and create a map of partner businesses and kid maker locations to distribute and publicize prior to December 1.  The cost to participate in the Kid’s Christmas Makers Market as a host and a kid maker is free.   October 1 is the deadline for all Kid Maker Applications as well as for business partners to sign on.

For more information go to www.fostoriaohio.org/kidsmakersmarket

If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact Sarah Stephens Krupp, at 419-435-0486 or via email at sarah@fostoriachamber.com.

Fostoria Area Visitors Bureau Seeking Sponsors for a 2019/2020 Outdoor Sculpture Exhibit

Pledges requested by November 1^st.

Due to the overwhelmingly positive response to the current Midwest Sculpture Initiative exhibit currently being hosted in Fostoria, the Fostoria Area Visitors Bureau has released sponsorship levels to fund being a host community again in 2019/2020.

To participate as a host community, the Midwest Sculpture Initiative group asks for a commitment to fund at least eight sculptures for an outdoor exhibit that is in place for one approximately one year. In the summer of 2017, Michele Cochran, Community Development/Tourism Director, had placed Fostoria on the waiting list to be a host community.

In November 2017, the Midwest Sculpture Initiative administrator called Cochran to explain that he had an opening if Fostoria was interested in participating as a host community in 2018-2019. She accepted the invitation for Fostoria to be a host community and worked to secure funding for the exhibit, receiving grants from the Greater Fostoria Community Foundation as well as the Henry H. Geary, Jr. Memorial Foundation. Eight pieces were installed in Fostoria on May 31^st and will be here through April/May 2019.

Because the Visitors Bureau will receive a call this fall to see if Fostoria would like to be a host community for a 2019/2020 exhibit, the Fostoria Area Visitors Bureau is seeking financial sponsorship pledges by November 1^st. Donations of any amount are appreciated. Gifts given at the following levels will receive special recognition in all exhibit marketing materials: Platinum – $2,000+, Gold $1,000+, Silver $500+ and Bronze $250+. Payment is requested by March 1, 2019.

A sponsorship pledge form is available from the Fostoria Area Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau website at: http://fostoriachamber.com/sculpturepledge/  Completed forms should be mailed to 121 N. Main Street, Fostoria or emailed to Michele Cochran, Community Development/Tourism Director at development@fostoriachamber.com.