Programming Components

American West Heritage Center Programming Components

All of the programming components listed below are fairly self-contained and could easily be completed with an outside committee in coordination with AWHC staff. They each include set up, clean up, budget management, finding and developing partnerships, donor/sponsor seeking, and general management and coordination. The complexity ranking may be helpful in determining how many members should be on that planning committee.


Baby Animal Days (BAnD)

Easter Egg Hunt

Complexity ranking: 5 (out of 5)
A favorite event at BAnD. Involves planning, coordinating, purchase recommendations, developing partners, donors & possibly sponsors, procuring/stuffing eggs, set up, clean up, traffic management of 6,000 kids over a three day period (the hunt takes place three times each day).

Make n' Take Crafts

Complexity ranking: 3 (out of 5)
One of the favorite activities for any festival at the American West Heritage Center is the doing of crafts. Kids love to make things. This activities requires planning, coordinating, purchase recommendations, developing partners and possibly donors and sponsors, procuring materials to make crafts, research into heritage crafts, and traffic management of nearly 6000 children over a three day period. The crafts take place all day.

Animal Breeder Displays

Complexity ranking: 5 (out of 5)
A new addition to BAnD, this program includes procuring breeders of various types of animals (through target marketing and personal request), setting up and managing their spaces and needs, communication with various stake holders, drafting contracts, and coordinating with BAnD staff. Examples: exotic rabbit or guinea pig breeders (or miniature horses, reptiles, goats, etc.) may wish to share or sell their animals at BAnD.

Literacy Program

Complexity ranking: 2 (out of 5)
This program includes reading aloud to kids (or find folks to do this), and setting up and managing a temporary book sale. It may also include finding partners in the community to help.

Turtle Town

Complexity ranking: 3
This program features a baby turtle exhibit, along with other turtle items and activities. Turtles must be ordered and taken care of and other turtle activities conceptualized and managed. Special care must be taken to keep turtle habitats clean, and visitors' hands clean after holding.

Little Buckaroo Rodeo

Complexity ranking: 4
This activity is ongoing throughout the festival, but with some special events taking place at specific times of the day. Safe and fun activities for the rodeo must be chosen, planned, and managed. Interaction with animals is a must, but must be kept safe for both children and animals. In 2006, we had a goat chase and roping plastic steer heads. We would like to expand this activity considerably in 2007. Project includes budgeting, forming strong partnerships with rodeo specialists who can assist in planning, risk management issues, set up/take down, and working a master competition schedule.

Animal Shows

Complexity ranking: 3
People come to see animals at BAnD, and one way to do this is to show them off and demonstrate them in a "show" format. In the past, we've had a raptor demonstration, mare and foal demonstration, and other animal shows. Possible shows may include things like wild animals from Utah and abroad, raptors and other birds, horse & riding demonstrations, juggling poodles, etc. People need to be found and invited who could show off animals in a fun way to an audience. Sound equipment needs to be managed, "stage" environments need to be set up and coordinated, and audience traffic management needs attention to keep animals and audiences safe. A master schedule needs to be maintained to inform the public of the shows taking place at any time.


Fall Harvest Festival (FHF)

Fiddle Contest (7th annual)

Complexity ranking: 4
Fiddle contest must be advertised and marketed to obtain competitors. Judges must be found. The program needs sponsors to help with payment of judges and prize money. A database of entrants needs to be maintained. Rules and regulations needs to be posted and updated online. Marketing coordination with FHF staff. Entrants need to be assigned specific times for performing.

Folk Band Battle

Complexity ranking: 3
Folks bands compete for a prize. This new event needs to be conceptualized and managed. Folk bands from the area need to be contacted and invited. Judges must be found. Sponsors are needed to help with payment of judges and prize money. A database of bands needs to be kept. Bands may need previous screenings or pre-qualification rounds so that only the finalists play at the Fall Harvest Festival. Marketing coordination with FHF staff.

Country Carnival

Complexity ranking: 5
This program feature old fashioned carnival games for kids. Games must be conceptualized, created, decorated, and managed. This includes management of volunteers. Sponsors must be found to help support the program to keep it inexpensive for families. There is the possibility of creating or obtaining old fashioned carnival rides, too. General set up and clean up.

American West Art Show

Complexity ranking: 3
This event features artists who display their work in a gallery for the duration of the Festival—and perhaps longer. Artists need to be invited and obtained. A jury needs to be found to make final decisions of what artists will be accepted. This is an established program, but in its new place at FHF, it needs to be re-conceptualized. General management of program, including helping artists, coordinating marketing efforts with AWHC staff, and preparing gallery space. This event also relies on sponsors for the generous prize money for winning artists and art-works.


Summer Programming and Special Events

Seed & Perennial Swap

Complexity ranking: 2
In mid April, this event allows visitors to exchange perennials and seeds with each other. It could also involve things like workshops on pruning, planting, and other garden-oriented topics. Preparation for the event includes marketing, general set-up/clean up, and coordination of activities.

Dinner with the General and Military Ball

Complexity ranking: 3
This high end dinner and dance promises to be one of the AWHC's most popular niche events. Dinner and dance need to be coordinated and decorated by communicating with chef, finding a dance band and dinner entertainment, and coordinating marketing efforts with AWHC staff (this event takes a lot of very narrow-audience marketing effort). Finding sponsors can keep prices lower for patrons.

Pioneering Day

Complexity ranking: 5
Pioneering day will feature pioneer games, old time sporting events such as log sawing and handcart races, and other pioneer activities such as a handcart progressive dinner. This is a first-time event that needs to be conceptualized. Sporting events need to be managed and volunteers coordinated.

Bus Tours

Complexity ranking: 4
Bus tours come regularly to the AWHC. They often need a meal, wagon rides, and things to do while they are here that may or may not include special activities created just for them. It takes coordination of effort to ensure that they have a good time.

Overnight Adventures

Complexity ranking: 2
Folks often like to sleep here in our tipis or in some other area. They often need entertainment and/or historical interpretation at night, and breakfast in the morning, so these things must be coordinated.


Frontier Christmas

Victorian Christmas Feast & Winter Ball

Complexity ranking: 3
This high end dinner and dance promises to be one of the AWHC's most popular niche events. Dinner and dance need to be coordinated and decorated by communicating with chef, finding a dance band, and coordinating marketing efforts with AWHC staff (this event takes a lot of very narrow-audience marketing effort). Finding sponsors can keep prices lower for patrons.

Christmas Crafts

Complexity ranking: 3
One of the most popular activities at Frontier Christmas is the doing of crafts for kids and adults. Crafts must be conceptualized and materials obtained. Event must be managed and coordinated. Special care with budgets must be given, for the event is free so these crafts should turn a profit while still remaining inexpensive for guests.

March of the Socks

Complexity ranking: 4
We hope this will be a popular Holiday attraction. Professional artists and fiber artists create one of a kind Christmas stockings for sale in silent auction as a fundraiser for the AWHC's arts and exhibitions programs. Artists of all kinds need to be invited. We would like to start other divisions as well, such as a youth division and an amateur division for artists who are not yet fully established. Basic stockings need to be obtained, the event managed and displayed. Special care needs to be taken with marketing to ensure that the right people see and bid on the stockings. A wider range of starting bids and Buy it Now prices needs to be established.

Holiday Vaudeville Show

Complexity ranking: 5
New for 2007, we want this to be a reproduction of sorts of the Vaudeville shows from 100 years ago. Performers (mostly unusual ones) need to be invited and auditioned. The show needs to be managed and rehearsed. Attention needs to be paid to stage environments (light and sound).

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