Delaware
Delaware Tourism Office to Reopen the Sports Tourism Capital Investment Fund – State of Delaware News
Applications Accepted Beginning Aug. 1
DOVER, Del. – On Aug. 1, the Delaware Tourism Office will reopen the Sports Tourism Capital Investment Fund for applications. Established through the FY24 Bond and Capital Improvements Act, the fund provides financial support to new or existing sports facilities that hold events throughout the year to attract out-of-state visitors and contribute to the state and local economy.
“As a significant economic driver, sports tourism generates millions of dollars and brings thousands of visitors to our state each year,” said Governor John Carney. “This fund provides the opportunity to support new and existing sports facilities to ensure that Delaware remains competitive in the sports tourism field for years to come.”
Delaware has been selected to host a variety of national sporting events, including the USA Lacrosse Youth Nationals, the MEAC Volleyball Championship, the U.S. Adult Figure Skating Championships and the state’s first PGA Tour event, the 2022 BMW Championship. The state has also hosted smaller-scale sporting events in lacrosse, football, soccer, softball, baseball and other sports.
“Sports tourism is a $128 billion global industry that is continuously growing, and Delaware faces stiff competition from neighboring states to attract and retain sporting events,” said Secretary of State Jeff Bullock. “We welcome the opportunity to reopen this investment fund and provide financial support to our state’s world-class sports facilities so that sporting event operators keep Delaware top of mind when looking for locations for their tournaments and other competitions.”
During the fund’s initial application period from March 1 through April 12, 2024, the Delaware Tourism Office received 18 applications requesting more than $54 million. Available funds totaled $11.3 million and were distributed to four awardees, including Wilmington Sports LLC, DE Turf, Midway Motion & Fitness and STATS Tournaments. The FY25 Bond and Capital Improvements Act provided an additional $10 million for a second round of funding.
“The first round of applications for the Sports Tourism Capital Investment Fund was incredibly competitive and showcased the variety of facilities hosting a range of sporting events throughout the year,” said Delaware Tourism Office Director Jessica Welch. “We are thrilled to be able to reopen the program for new applications and continue supporting these facilities who contribute significantly to our state’s economic growth and help promote Delaware as a prime destination for out-of-state visitors.”
The Delaware Tourism Office will hold an informational webinar for prospective applicants to learn more about the Sports Tourism Capital Investment Fund on Thursday, July 25, at 2 p.m. Pre-registration is required.
Applications for the investment fund will be accepted by the Delaware Tourism Office until Sept. 13 at 4 p.m. All applicants must submit a completed original application, along with 10 printed copies and an electronic copy included on a thumb drive, to the Delaware Tourism Office located at 99 Kings Highway in Dover, Del. More information on eligibility, funding requirements and complete program regulations can be found on the Delaware Tourism Office website.
The Delaware Tourism Office, a division of the Delaware Division of Small Business, promotes tourism and economic growth in Delaware. For more information, visit the official Delaware Tourism website at www.visitdelaware.com or call toll-free at 866-284-7483.
###
Media Contact:
Allyson Ennis
Allyson.Ennis@Delaware.gov
Related Topics: Delaware Tourism Office, Sports Tourism Capital Investment Fund
Keep up to date by receiving a daily digest email, around noon, of current news release posts from state agencies on news.delaware.gov.
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Applications Accepted Beginning Aug. 1
DOVER, Del. – On Aug. 1, the Delaware Tourism Office will reopen the Sports Tourism Capital Investment Fund for applications. Established through the FY24 Bond and Capital Improvements Act, the fund provides financial support to new or existing sports facilities that hold events throughout the year to attract out-of-state visitors and contribute to the state and local economy.
“As a significant economic driver, sports tourism generates millions of dollars and brings thousands of visitors to our state each year,” said Governor John Carney. “This fund provides the opportunity to support new and existing sports facilities to ensure that Delaware remains competitive in the sports tourism field for years to come.”
Delaware has been selected to host a variety of national sporting events, including the USA Lacrosse Youth Nationals, the MEAC Volleyball Championship, the U.S. Adult Figure Skating Championships and the state’s first PGA Tour event, the 2022 BMW Championship. The state has also hosted smaller-scale sporting events in lacrosse, football, soccer, softball, baseball and other sports.
“Sports tourism is a $128 billion global industry that is continuously growing, and Delaware faces stiff competition from neighboring states to attract and retain sporting events,” said Secretary of State Jeff Bullock. “We welcome the opportunity to reopen this investment fund and provide financial support to our state’s world-class sports facilities so that sporting event operators keep Delaware top of mind when looking for locations for their tournaments and other competitions.”
During the fund’s initial application period from March 1 through April 12, 2024, the Delaware Tourism Office received 18 applications requesting more than $54 million. Available funds totaled $11.3 million and were distributed to four awardees, including Wilmington Sports LLC, DE Turf, Midway Motion & Fitness and STATS Tournaments. The FY25 Bond and Capital Improvements Act provided an additional $10 million for a second round of funding.
“The first round of applications for the Sports Tourism Capital Investment Fund was incredibly competitive and showcased the variety of facilities hosting a range of sporting events throughout the year,” said Delaware Tourism Office Director Jessica Welch. “We are thrilled to be able to reopen the program for new applications and continue supporting these facilities who contribute significantly to our state’s economic growth and help promote Delaware as a prime destination for out-of-state visitors.”
The Delaware Tourism Office will hold an informational webinar for prospective applicants to learn more about the Sports Tourism Capital Investment Fund on Thursday, July 25, at 2 p.m. Pre-registration is required.
Applications for the investment fund will be accepted by the Delaware Tourism Office until Sept. 13 at 4 p.m. All applicants must submit a completed original application, along with 10 printed copies and an electronic copy included on a thumb drive, to the Delaware Tourism Office located at 99 Kings Highway in Dover, Del. More information on eligibility, funding requirements and complete program regulations can be found on the Delaware Tourism Office website.
The Delaware Tourism Office, a division of the Delaware Division of Small Business, promotes tourism and economic growth in Delaware. For more information, visit the official Delaware Tourism website at www.visitdelaware.com or call toll-free at 866-284-7483.
###
Media Contact:
Allyson Ennis
Allyson.Ennis@Delaware.gov
Related Topics: Delaware Tourism Office, Sports Tourism Capital Investment Fund
Keep up to date by receiving a daily digest email, around noon, of current news release posts from state agencies on news.delaware.gov.
Here you can subscribe to future news updates.
Nashville hot chicken: How hot is hot chicken?
Tennessean writer Brad Schmitt took two coworkers to 400 degrees in his search for the best hot chicken in Nashville.
The hottest trend in chicken is coming for Delaware.
Hangry Joe’s Hot Chicken & Wings — one of a steaming bouquet of fried chicken chains looking to capitalize on the newfound national popularity of fire-engine-red, cayenne-dipped fried chicken — will open this year in Dover’s new Capital Station shopping center, Capital owners R&R Commercial Realty announced this week.
The Dover Hangry Joe’s will be the chain’s first outlet in Delaware, and one of the only hot chicken spots in the state so far — though it’s unlikely this situation will last. Hangry Joe’s is already scouting the Wilmington area for another location, according to its website.
Hot chicken restaurants, whether corporate chains like Dave’s Hot Chicken or locally owned halal spots, have been sweeping the nation over the past year. Some blocks in New Jersey and Philadelphia now boast side-by side hot chicken spots. In Philly’s Old City neighborhood, four hot chicken spots exist within three blocks of each other.
Other chains like Colbie’s Southern Kissed Fried Chicken and Burger King have already gotten in on the game by offering their own, somewhat milder takes on Nashville-style hot chicken.
So what’s so hot about Nashville fried chicken? And precisely where and when will the Hangry’s open? Here’s what we know.
What’s Nashville hot chicken?
Nashville hot chicken is in fact Prince’s Hot Chicken.
Most of a century ago, Nashville’s Thornton Prince was a lean, smoldering-eyed and dashing man, a breaker of hearts who married five times and left romantic wreckage behind. One such broken heart, known by legend as “Girlfriend X,” decided on revenge. And so she made him fried chicken spiced so hot with cayenne and black pepper that it should liquefy your innards and burn out your soul.
Well, Thornton loved it, the story goes. He asked for seconds. He loved it so much he sold terrifyingly spicy chicken out of his home, then founded Prince’s Hot Chicken in 1945.
Now 80 years later, his family still serves bright-red cayenne-butter-pickle fried chicken at the famous Prince’s Hot Chicken shack in Nashville — a flavor that became known as “Nashville” hot chicken after the flavor spread to other restaurants around town and eventually the rest of the country.
What makes it different? Heat. Big heat. Actual heat. Earthy, toe-numbing, coma-inducing cayenne heat. Crispy breading, brined chicken, and bright red sauce made mostly of fat and cayenne pepper. Plus a pickle. What else would you ever need?
Anyway, over the past decade or so, “Nashville hot chicken” has gone from local delicacy to cult item to ubiquitous flavor — spawning several chains devoted to hot chicken that include Nashville’s own Hattie B’s in addition to Dave’s Hot Chicken, Joella’s Hot Chicken, Howlin’ Ray’s and, of course, Hangry Joe’s.
What’s different about Hangry Joe’s, and when will it open in Delaware?
Hangry Joe’s Hot Chicken and Wings, founded in Northern Virginia by partners Derek Cha and Mike Kim, devotes itself both to Nashville-hot fried chicken sandwiches and Korean-style wings — a duo of hot chicken tastes. Korean-born Cha is also a co-founder of the Sweet Frog frozen yogurt franchise.
Hangry Joe’s, founded in 2021, already boasts around 30 locations in Virginia and Maryland alone — plus multiple in the hot-chicken home of Tennessee, four within Philadelphia city limits, and a location in … Dubai.
The Dover location at the Capital Station shopping center on Division Street and DuPont Highway is slated to open in late fall or early winter this year, according to R & R construction, making it likely the first in Delaware. According to the Hangry Joe’s website, another Delaware location is already planned for Elsmere.
Charles Rodriguez, of R&R Commercial Realty, says the deal will mean that Capital Station is nearly fully leased.
“Capital Station has grown into one of Dover’s top business hubs,” Rodriguez wrote in a statement. “It has a strong mix of business types now and it attracts consistent traffic. It’s come a long way from its past life as the old, shuttered Playtex factory.”
Where else in Delaware can you find Nashville hot chicken?
Philly and the whole state of New Jersey are filling up with hot chicken restaurants — so much so that hot chicken restaurants sometimes open across the street from other hot chicken restaurants.
But a true cayenne-red, Nashville-style, hot fried chicken sandwich can be interestingly hard to find in Delaware at the moment. Delaware restaurants dedicated entirely to hot chicken are even harder to locate.
But simply cross the Pennsylvania border, and you can find yourself at FIRE Nashville Hot Chicken in West Chester and at the Booths Corner Farm Market.
Matthew Korfhage is business and development reporter in the Delaware region covering all things related to land and money: openings and closings, construction, and the many corporations who call the First State home. Send tips and insults to mkorfhage@gannett.com.
The Delaware Arts Alliance releases a new plan to support arts and tourism as part of the state’s post-pandemic economic recovery.
The Creative Economy Advancement and Tourism Expansion, or CREATE Plan, is the first of its kind in the nation. The plan tackles post-pandemic challenges and provides actionable solutions to strengthen Delaware’s creative economy.
DAA Executive Director Neil Kirschling explains they formed the plan with feedback from over 600 Delawareans through online surveys, stakeholder focus groups, and events conducted last year, producing an economic impact analysis of the creative economy in Delaware.
“We heard over and over again that there is a lot of excitement and energy coming out of the pandemic,” Kirschling says. “Arts organizations survived a really difficult time for their budgets and are now looking at this new reality post-COVID, looking to us for recommendations to the state for ways to support them, and thinking about how they can do business differently.”
DAA also designed an online asset map – a searchable index of more than 2500 creative economy assets in Delaware.
Finally, DAA crafted an action plan with 25 policy recommendations for strengthening the state’s arts and tourism sectors.
“We hope that those who see these recommendations will agree with us on these goals of stimulating economic activity, putting cultural tourism at the heart of Delaware’s brand, providing more equitable access to arts education in public schools, breaking down silos and catalyzing cross-sector collaboration and really tackling some inequality that exists currently within the creative economy,” Kirschling says.
Those recommendations cover arts funding, education, industry support, and more. The action steps are designed for everyone – government, businesses, artists and community members alike.
For example, Kirschling says the plan suggests updating event licensing and permitting – noting feedback from focus groups often mentioned the process for obtaining special event permits is difficult. This would include creating a statewide “one-stop-shop” for licensing and permitting, a “best practice” that Kirschling says is happening nationwide.
Kirschling says the plan also calls for the creative economy to be included in statewide business and economic development communications and programs.
“In polling our artistic businesses we learned that they all need financial support, business support, legal support, copyrights training, and these are the sorts of things that could be offered in statewide business and economic development programs,” Kirschling says.
Kirschling also highlighted modernizing Delaware’s media and film industry to encourage and attract film opportunities.
DAA’s plan recommends the state find more revenue streams to support creative businesses through grants for health, professional development, and education.
On education, Kirschling says they are hoping to secure arts funding for every student in public education and promote arts degrees in higher education.
HARRINGTON, Del. – The Waysiders, a cover band based out of Smyrna, Delaware, joined WMDT live at the Delaware State Fair.
They play a dynamic blend of alternative rock, classic rock, blues, and country.
Check out their interview with WMDT’s Rob Petree.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/pmn/L7XIVT74QBUGU6KFKHGST4SEXI.jpg "Kamala Harris traveling to Indianapolis today for campaign event, while Donald Trump to hold rally in North Carolina")
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