Shelbyville, Tenn. – The 72nd Annual Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration has been recognized as a Top 20 Event by the Southeast Tourism Society (STS). It marks the twenty-second time in the past twenty-three years that the signature event for The Celebration has been listed as a Top 20 Event.
Board Chairman Charles McDonald (right) and Celebration CEO Dr. Doyle Meadows proudly display the Southeastern Tourism Society Top 20 Event Award the Celebration recently received.
Celebration CEO Dr. Doyle Meadows commented, “We are honored and humbled to receive this award again. Every year since 1998, when we won the award for the first time, it has been the goal of our staff and Board of Celebration Directors to continue to work extremely hard to earn this honor each and every year.”
The STS has published the Top 20 Events for each month since 1985. Winners of the highly competitive selection process have pertinent information about their event distributed to over 1,600 newspapers, magazines, radio stations, TV stations, AAA publications, and others. STS Top 20 Events are also published on the Southeast Tourism Society web sites at www.southeasttourism.org & www.escapetothesoutheast.com.
The Celebration began in 1939 and has grown to an event that draws nearly a quarter-million fans annually. The 2009 Celebration featured nearly 4,000 entries and distributed over $700,000.00 in prize money and awards. The Celebration is the oldest continuously running event in the state of Tennessee.
“This is a magnificent honor for The Celebration, our community, and the walking horse industry,” stated Celebration Board Chairman Charles McDonald. “We, the Board of Directors of The Celebration, are extremely proud of our staff and the hundreds of volunteers working through the civic organizations that help make this a truly world-class event.”
To be considered for the Top 20 Event recognition, an event must be in its third year of existence and have a minimum attendance of 1,000. Founded in 1983, the STS is dedicated to the promotion and development of tourism to its member states of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. Close to 1,000 members make up the society and represent a wide range of travel-related businesses and organizations.
The 72nd annual Celebration is scheduled for August 25th – September 4th, 2010 at the Historic Celebration Grounds in Shelbyville. Ticket information can be obtained through The Celebration Ticket Office at (931) 684 – 5915 or by logging onto www.twhnc.com.