At a special-called meeting last night, the Texarkana, Arkansas Advertising & Promotion Commission awarded more than $286,450 in grants for tourism-boosting initiatives on Texarkana’s Arkansas side.
The A&P Commission is funded by a tax on Texarkana, Arkansas hotels and restaurants. Those dollars go directly toward tourism advertising, marketing initiatives, and grants for projects expected to bring overnight visitors and fill restaurant seats on the Arkansas side.
Grants awarded for 2026 include:
- $58,000 to Winner’s Circle 4 for festivals and events at Front Street Plaza
- $6,750 to Hypecon for the Spring Awakening Viking Festival and Hype & Glory Wrestling
- $22,500 to The Scholars for Juneteenth weekend events
- $20,500 to Arkansas Elks Lodge 399 for the 2026 Arkansas State Elks Convention
- $2,000 to For the Sake of One for the Run the Runway 5K
- $10,000 to Arkansas Youth Expo for an annual livestock and agricultural exhibition
- $31,000 to the Texarkana Airshow for event production and promotion
- $3,000 to CASA/Texarkana Children’s Advocacy Center for Over the Edge
- $7,500 to LNKTXK for Destination Downtown
- $3,000 to the Texarkana Regional Chamber of Commerce for regional magazine advertising
- $11,000 to Main Street Texarkana for downtown events
- $6,000 to TRAHC for Art for All Day
- $5,500 to Partnership for the Pathway for the Run the Line Half Marathon
- $7,000 to the City Beautiful Commission for beautification projects
- $2,000 to Southwest Wrestling Promotions for a professional wrestling event
- $8,500 to the Four States Auto Museum for the Smokey and the Bandit Run and car show
- $10,000 to Gifts and Talents Career Fund for a basketball camp
- $8,200 to the Rhythm and Blues Fool Festival for event production and promotion
- $64,000 to Texarkana Regional Airport for tourism marketing
“At the end of the day, we’re here to put heads in beds and keep visitors spending on the Arkansas side,” said Ulysses Brewer, commission chairman. “Tourism doesn’t happen without people willing to put in the work to create experiences worth traveling for. These organizations are moving the needle for the entire region.”
The grants come after the commission paused its 2026 cycle while weighing a long-term capital project. After that project was voted down, the commission reopened the cycle and held Tuesday’s special-called meeting to hear all applicants.
About Texarkana, Arkansas A&P Commission
The Texarkana, Arkansas Advertising & Promotion Commission works to promote tourism and support events that drive visitor spending and economic growth on the Arkansas side. The commission is composed of seven members, including local hotel and restaurant owners, two members of the Texarkana Arkansas City Board, and one at-large community member. Members are appointed to staggered four-year terms and meet quarterly to allocate funds generated by the city’s Hotel, Motel, and Restaurant (HMR) tax.
