Mesquite Hosts Rural Roundup

By BOBBIE GREEN

The Progress

Around 150 of the real ‘movers and shakers’ in Nevada’s tourism industry gathered from all over the state to Mesquite last week to attend this year’s Rural Roundup. The City of Mesquite was selected to host this major annual event which was held from April 11-13.

Put on each year by Travel Nevada/Nevada Division of Tourism, the Rural Roundup is the premier conference for Nevada’s rural tourism industry. It is held each year in a different rural community allowing the host community to showcase all of its tourism opportunities.

Mesquite went all out in doing just that. In perfect April weather conditions, Rural Roundup participants arrived on Tuesday greeted by a host of Mesquite-style activities in which they could participate on the first day of the conference.

Members of the Kokopelli ATV Club hosted an off-road outing with some of the participants. Nikhil Narkhede, Program Manager for Nevada Off-Highway Vehicles Program was eager to participate in this trail ride to the Three Corners monument. About 15 miles directly north of Mesquite, Three Corners is the spot where the states of Nevada, Utah and Arizona meet.

“It was a very well-run ride,” Narkhede said after the experience. “Kokopelli gave safety rules and made sure everyone had a passenger. They did a great job!”

Narkhede was impressed with how much Mesquite has done to make the city a friendly and welcoming place for off-highway vehicle (OHV) tourism. “One of the most unique things about Mesquite is that you can ride your properly registered and insured (off highway) vehicle from your hotel room on the streets to your off-road trailhead,” Narkhede said. “That is possible because of a recently-passed city ordinance.”

Back in town, the Virgin Valley Artists Association offered a paint party which was conducted at the Mesquite Fine Arts Center and taught by local artist Christine Picior. Attendees who chose to take this class spent time receiving instruction on painting a masterwork. Each student went home with their own creation depicting a cactuswhich could be hung on their office walls.

The Donkey History Museum in Mesquite rolled out the red carpet for the guests, offering a special tour and even hosting a scavenger hunt for the visitors.
“This scavenger hunt allowed everyone to see, learn about and appreciate the many items on display,” said museum curator Ray Robbins who conducted the tour.

Lucy Carnahan, Executive Director of the Fallon, Nevada Chamber of Commerce said that she was very impressed with the Donkey History Museum. She said that the experience was quite unique.
“I can ride an ATV many places,” Carnahan said. “But, where will I find another Donkey History Museum?”

The conference led to a lot of opportunities for networking and sharing information. For example, Carnahan said that the local Peaceful Valley Donkey Rescue, associated with the Donkey History Museum, will be sending some very important donkey representatives to their Cantaloupe Festival this August.

A 9-hole golf tournament was hosted for the Rural Roundup participants by Coyote Willows Golf Club. Attendees formed teams for the tournament. The first-place team in the tournament included Nevada Lieutenant Governor Stavros Anthony who was having a great time at the Roundup.
“I am happy to be a part of this event,” Anthony said. “It is my job to promote tourism for Nevada. I travel the country and the world promoting our state.”

Another great activity for participants was an E-Bike Demonstration hosted by All In Cycles shop in Mesquite. Shop owner Michael Gomes provided the bikes and safety equipment. The participants took short rides exploring the bike trails leading through downtown area of Mesquite and getting a feel for these high quality E-Bike machines.

The Virgin Valley Heritage Museum also sponsored a self-guided historical walking tour of old time Mesquite. Equipped with a smartphone app as a guide, the participants could set off through the historic areas of town and learn about the pioneer heritage of the Virgin Valley communities.

All of the Rural Roundup participants gathered at the Mesquite Fire Arts Center on Tuesday night for a Welcome Reception event. Local businesses were called upon to mark the first evening of the conference. The Great Basin Cooking Company catered the evening’s meal while The Front Porch Flowers provided beautiful table decorations.

Meg McDaniels, Senior Manager of Regional Sales for Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority served as emcee for the evening. McDaniels talked about how important these Rural Roundup events are to help support rural businesses through tourism.

The main speaker for the evening was former U.S. Congressman Cresent Hardy who is a lifelong resident of the Virgin Valley. Hardy gave an amusing recount of the early advent of golf courses in the Mesquite community.

With all of these activities behind them, participants began the conference in earnest on the following day. Meetings were held at the Eureka Resort

The conference opened with a general session on Wednesday morning. Opening remarks were given by Lt. Governor Anthony and Mesquite Mayor Al Litman welcomed the participants to the city.

What followed were a series of expert speakers giving seminars about various subjects on the theme of “Telling Your Story” to attract tourism.

A gala awards dinner was held on Wednesday night to acknowledge excellence in the tourism industry.

On Thursday morning, the conference closed and participants went their separate ways.
This was the 30th anniversary of the Rural Roundup. It was also distinguished for being the first Roundup held since 2019. The event was cancelled over the past three years due to the COVID pandemic.

Nick Montoya, Director of Mesquite Athletics and Leisure Services Department acknowledged the community effort that it took to host this major event last week. He gave kudos to his staff who helped to make sure that the city was ready to welcome the event and that everything ran smoothly throughout the week.

The Mesquite Chamber of Commerce also took part in welcoming Rural Roundup attendees.
“I want to thank all the volunteers and staff that helped make this great event possible,” Montoya said. “We were extremely proud and excited to be a part of this Travel Nevada event and to showcase Mesquite’s many amenities.”