Gillett to proclaim itself ATV Capital Saturday

Eat your heart out, West Virginia. And you, too, Wallace, Idaho.

Some may consider one or the other of you “The ATV Capital of the World,” but when they call you that they will be infringing on a trademark owned by the city of Gillett.

Gillett was awarded the trademark in April by the U.S. Office of Patents and Trademarks, and on Saturday the city will celebrate its status with a daylong slate of ATV-related festivities.

Of course, it’s still not an official status, even with the trademark. But it does give Gillett a leg up on the other so-called ATV capitals.

“We did a little bit of research, and nobody else has actually proclaimed themself (the ATV Capital). It’s been stated but nobody has actually taken the role on,” said Brandon Miller of the Destination Marketing Committee.

“Wallace, Idaho has been called the ATV Capital of the World, but if you go to their community or city web site, they actually call themselves the Silver Capital of the World,” Miller said.

“West Virginia was doing more or less the same thing we were doing, but we took it a step further in making a whole marketing package out of it,” he said.

“We’ve always been an ATV-friendly community,” Miller said.

But things have really taken off over the last three years since the ATV Adventure weekends began.

The city received two grants totaling nearly $80,000 from the state for the first two years of the event. The Department of Tourism estimated the weekends brought some $400,000 into the community.

Saturday’s festivities kick off at 10:30 a.m. on the city-sanctioned ATV Route at the corner of Main and Richmond Streets where brand-new “Welcome to Gillett” banners announce the new designation.

From there a mini-parade of ATVs will make the four block journey along the route to the headquarters of The ATV Capital of the World, located at Sportsmen’s Lodge and Grill at 145 N. McKenzie Ave.

Miller said the Sportsmen’s Lodge was chosen as headquarters because the owners, Gary and Vicki Pemrich, have been pivotal in the process leading up to the city’s new designation.

Mayor Tom Lietz will read the proclamation announcing the community’s new title.

Immediately following the proclamation, an ATV Poker Run will commence and will end at the Sportsmen’s Lodge & Grill at 5 p.m. when prizes will be awarded

The Sportsmen’s Lodge and Grill, located in the former Masonic Temple, will also celebrate its grand opening in conjunction with the proclamation.

There are 320 registered ATVs in the Gillett zip code of 54124, equal to about one out of every four people who live in the City of Gillett.

There is access to over 130 miles of ATV trails from the city’s downtown Zippel Park, which offers free trailer and truck parking. The Gillett Rail Runners ATV Club and the Gillett Professional Police Association co-sponsor the ATV Adventure Weekend the last weekend in September, and this year’s third annual event is filled with exciting ATV opportunities.

There is access to local businesses on city streets that are open to ATV traffic and the Rail Runners ATV Club is developing twenty acres just west of town into a year-round ATV Park.

Tourism summit revs up area industry leaders

The Shawano Speedway and its contributions to the local economy took center stage Thursday at the 2007 Shawano Country Tourism Summit.

Gillett to proclaim itself ATV Capital Saturday

Eat your heart out, West Virginia. And you, too, Wallace, Idaho.