Tourism Commission discusses upcoming events, funding for robotics competition

NIBROC is over, but the events and other happenings in Corbin, including the Gallery Hop, Egg Fest and the arrival of the Pullman car for the train museum, will be keeping things hopping downtown over the next month.

At Tuesday’s meeting of the Corbin Tourism Commission, Director Maggy Kriebel brought the commissioners up to speed during her monthly director’s report.

Kriebel has been working diligently to get the French Broad River Pullman car, L&N 2132 steam locomotive and other pieces of rolling stock that will serve as the showpieces for the Corbin Railway Museum delivered to Corbin.

The Pullman car, which was donated by the Greater Cincinnati Railroad Museum, has been loaded onto the flatcar donated by TTX car company and is awaiting transport to Corbin and may arrive next week.

Two things are delaying delivery. Kriebel said CSX officials have inspected the load and want it to be further secured before it is sent down the line.

With NIBROC over, Kriebel said site work will begin to prepare the final home for the car outside the former Corbin railroad depot.

Kriebel said CSX officials in Corbin had initially offered to allow the Pullman to be unloaded and stored on the siding near the depot.

However, that is no longer an option, meaning the site has to be prepared by the time the car arrives.

“CSX cited liability issues,” Kriebel told the commissioners when asked about the change.

Kriebel said Corbin Public Works employees can do the minimal site work and she has the necessary track panels available.
The only hang-up is getting the track panels, which includes ties, plates, spikes and rails, in place.

“I’m hoping we can get some CSX employees or former employees to come out and we can do some kind of track laying competition,” Kriebel said.

Tourism’s next downtown event will be the second annual Corbin Gallery Hop on Aug. 22.

Kriebel said she currently has six stops on the hop and eight artists lined up for the event. “The cool thing is that we have actual galleries participating, noting Kathy Hoskins, owner of Kat’s Eye Photography, and Fawn Greer, owner of Dew Drop Pottery, will both be participating.

Kriebel said one of the issues that has cut into the number of merchants participating is moving the event to Saturday. Multiple merchants are not open for business on Saturday and Kriebel said she understands they may not be willing to go to the extra effort.

In addition, Kriebel said restaurants do not create the best atmosphere for an event, such as the gallery hop.

“The restaurants are willing to support the event, but it is just a little weird to have an artist in there working,” Kriebel said.
“I want to see how it goes,” Kriebel said noting she wants the event to continue but realizes further tweaks and changes are necessary.

Kriebel said too much planning has gone into the event and it is too close to consider postponing it.

Kriebel said planning is continuing for the Moonbow Eggfest to be held Sept. 19.

Like the gallery hop, this will be the second year for the cooking competition on the green egg-shaped grills

Kriebel noted she was recently interviewed about the event on a syndicated radio show based in Atlanta, Ga., “Chef and the Fat Man.”

Based on the promotional efforts and the interest that has already been expressed by perspective competitors, this year’s Eggfest will be twice as big and the inaugural event.

“We are going to take up the whole parking lot,” Kriebel said about the lot on Depot Street behind Sanders Park where the inaugural event was held.

“We have received so much response from people interested in participating, we may have to cut off registration at some point,” she added.

In other business, Kriebel brought up a proposal by Arthur Canada, the robotics teacher at Lynn Camp High School, to move the second annual “Battle of the Bluegrass” Robotics Competition to a smaller, cheaper venue.

The commission had budgeted $2,500 toward the event to cover the cost of renting The Arena.

Kriebel said in discussions Canada, the robotics teacher asked if the event could be moved to the gymnasium at Lynn Camp High School and the rental money be used to rent the playing field for the competition.

Kriebel said Canada had explained that in addition to lowering the cost of putting on the event, the gymnasium offered a better setting.

“This year I’m fine with it. Next year, we’ll see,” said Commissioner Tom Rose.

Other commissioners were less enthusiastic about Canada’s proposal, noting the goal of using tourism dollars to aid such events is to entice participants and spectators from out of town to stay in hotels and motels within the city limits and eat in Corbin restaurants.

Chair Alan Onkst noted that hosting the event at Lynn Camp would make the hotels and restaurants off of exit 29 in Laurel County, which are not subject to the Corbin Transient Tax, the more viable option.

“Nothing against Knox or Laurel County, but we are tying to bring revenue to Corbin,” Onkst noted.

The commissioners asked Kriebel to relay that the tourism money for the event is subject to the event being held on the south end of town, preferably at The Arena, but with Corbin High School also an option,

Kriebel said she would relay the message and get back to the commission.