College Station’s second Memorial Day weekend of remembrance event at Veterans Park drew an estimated 350 spectators.
But a combined 43 teams participated in softball and seven on seven football tournaments. That generated about $104,000 dollars for local hotels.
The city spent $68,000 on the event, using funds from the city’s general fund and hotel tax fund.
During a review at the last city council meeting, John Nichols applauded city staff for reducing expenses from the first year of the event. But Nichols was the first to suggest changing the date, which is after most college students leave for the summer.
Jerome Rektorik, who also suggested moving the date, noted the hotel room rate averaged $69 dollars a night during the football tournament and $88 dollars a night during the softball tournament.
Council members directed staff to come up with options to improve attendance of what is hoped to become the city’s signature annual event.
Click below for comments from the College Station city council discussion on August 22, 2019: