JCTA Announces 2026 Grants, Sponsorships
March 25, 2026
The Johnson County Tourism Association board awarded more than $48,000 in grants and sponsorships for events and programs that will help encourage overnight visits to Johnson County in the next 12 months.
The JCTA board made its awards during its March 17 meeting after hearing presentations earlier in the month from each of the grant applicants.
In 2025, requests were a little more than $70,000, and JCTA awarded a little more than $30,000, or about 10 percent of its revenue for the previous calendar year.
In 2026, more than $140,000 in requests were made. JCTA again awarded about 10 percent of its revenue from the previous year, but this time allocated those funds through three different budget lines – Community Grants, Marketing Sponsorships, and Print Projects.
Grant awards focused on supporting some of the newer events in Johnson County, including the Kaycee Outlaw Music Festival, the Invaders Tattoo Expo, and the Range War Rodeo.
Marketing sponsorships support the staging of various events that may have established audiences or specific interests. JCTA also will support printing costs for marketing materials from three organizations.
Grants totaling $29,050 were awarded to: Invaders Tattoo Expo, Range War Rodeo, Lobban Street Music’s Saturdays in the Square, the Kaycee Outlaw Music Festival, and the Native American Cultural Weekend being planned by the Cowboy Carousel Center.
Marketing sponsorships totaling $13,100 were awarded to: Johnson County Arts & Humanities, Moon Hitch Wagon Co., Longmire Days, Bighorn Bluegrass Camp, Fort Phil Kearny/Bozeman Trail Association, First Friday Art Walks, the Johnson County YMCA’s Klondike Rush, the Powder Pass Nordic Club’s Pole Creek Challenge, and the Wyoming High School Rodeo Association’s state finals. The high school rodeo finals will take place for the second straight year at the Johnson County Fairgrounds in June of 2026, and will also return in 2027 and 2028.
The JCTA awarded $6,225 for printed marketing material expenses for the Buffalo High School Trapshoot Club’s Buffalo Stampede, the Fort Phil Kearny/Bozeman Trail Association, and the Jim Gatchell Memorial Museum.
JCTA funding comes through a Lodging Tax collected on overnight stays by visitors to Johnson County. By state statutes, these funds must be used solely for the purpose of promoting Johnson County as an attractive destination for potential overnight guests.
About the JCTA
The Johnson County Tourism Association is governed by the Lodging Tax Joint Powers Board with members appointed by the County Commission and the councils for the City of Buffalo and Town of Kaycee. The association is funded solely by Lodging Tax funds collected on overnight stays by visitors to Johnson County’s hotels, motels, guest ranches, AirBnBs, RV parks, and improved campgrounds. JCTA uses those funds to market Johnson County to potential tourists domestically and internationally using a variety of platforms, including the VisitBuffaloWY.com website. The tourism industry in Johnson County results in roughly $60 million in spending while accounting for more than 650 jobs.
