The Wood County Economic Development Commission (WCEDC) voted to sponsor CRAPPIEFEST for $20,000 at their Feb. 25 meeting.

The vote comes after a meeting held Feb. 4, in which the commission said that they recognized the importance of the event, but ultimately couldn’t sponsor it since CRAPPIEFEST had already accepted Hotel Occupancy Tax (HOT) grants for $7,000. 

Current policy, said WCEDC Executive Director Christine Allen, states that an event cannot receive an EDC sponsorship on top of HOT grants. At the Feb. 4 meeting, the board decided not to sponsor the event from their own budget, letting them accept the HOT grant funds instead.

However, WCEDC Board President Tom Keenan brought the subject up again at the Feb. 25 meeting, saying that “we really want to give them more.” Keenan noted that the event would “be a big deal,” and that “it’s something that we really want to be a part of.”

Ultimately, Keenan said that they “did go through the budget,” and found $20,000 to sponsor the event.

Thomas said that CRAPPIEFEST will be receiving the grant, which comes from the EDC budget, in lieu of the $7,000 of HOT grants. She said, the change was due to “new impact data presented to the EDC board,” and is specific to CRAPPIEFEST.

“As a matter of practice, the EDC typically does not allocate sponsorship funds to events that have previously received a HOT grant, since those funds come from a separate budget,” Thomas said. “However, based on the documented economic impact and the recommendation of the executive committee, the board determined that CrappieFest warrants an exception. Rather than awarding a HOT grant this cycle, the event will be supported as a uniquely sponsored initiative through the EDC’s sponsorship budget.”

The motion to sponsor the festival for $20,000 passed unanimously.

The board also heard a presentation from Elizabeth Dry of Promise of Peace and Sunshine Acres. Dry was presenting her recent work with Okrapalooza, a food and music festival which will take place on Sept. 6 from 1 to 4 p.m. at The Venue At Cope Ranch. Dry said both Okrapalooza and Sunshine Acres were recently featured in the March/April edition of Texas Gardeners magazine, which has garnered Mineola widespread attention. Dry was asking for a sponsorship of $6,000 for Okrapalooza, which she said will feature 20 chefs as compared to last year’s seven, and will be capped at 300 people instead of last year’s 100.

However, as Keenan noted, the event is held in the 2026 fiscal year, and thus may or may not fit into the budget.

“I think it’s a very worthy thing that you’re doing, but I think we’d have to get the executive team together to look at that,” Keenan said. “(We) love what you’re doing – we really do – but as far as funding, we’re just going to have to discuss it and see what we can do.”

The board should have an answer by their next meeting.

The board also voted to table several motions. These include discussions about the Texas PACE program (a potential funding opportunity for local businesses which is being considered by the board); what level of sponsorship to give the Jarvis Christian University Pioneer Hall of Fame and Preeminence Awards Gala and the Ruck for the Fallen; and whether or not to sponsor the Rock the Pines Christian Concert (which changed its dates, and now falls into the 2026 fiscal year). 

They voted to give a silver sponsorship to the Quitman/Lake Fork Kiwanis Club Shamrock Shuffle for $250.