T E X A R K A N A M A G A Z I N E
lead by Amanda Lance, Director of Hempstead Hall and Workforce Development. As part of the University of Arkansas Hope-Texarkana, Hempstead Hall is “able to facilitate events free- of-charge for Hempstead County academic groups and nonprofits and offers some of the lowest rates in the region for other community groups,” says Lance. “We have operating budgets from the state of Arkansas and a supplemental fund from the UAHT Foundation.” All concerts and events held at Hempstead Hall also benefit the community. In addition
to Arkansas, visitors from other nearby states, including Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Missouri and Mississippi, travel to Hope to enjoy a concert or take part in events held at Hempstead Hall. Those traveling from out of town will usually stay in a hotel or Airbnb in Hope, Texarkana or other nearby towns. Of course, those visitors also do a lot of shopping and eating, which brings in more revenue to the area. In Hope, a recent study found that 38% of people attending a concert ate at a local restaurant, 42% stayed at a local hotel and 41% shopped at a local store. Lance says she “would love to see those numbers increase. There’s nothing better than shopping in downtown Hope and grabbing a bite to eat at Tailgater’s or Amigo Juan’s before heading over to Hempstead Hall to hear your favorite artist.”
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B U S I N E S S & P O L I T I C S
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