Clarksville, TN – Clarksville will be hosting two large sporting events this month. The 2023 Night Stalker Michael C. Grimm Memorial Shoot will be held on April 21st-23rd at Cross Creek Clays, and The King Kat Tournament Trail is returning to Clarksville on April 29th at Liberty Park. Combined, these two events are expected to have an economic impact of over $500,000.
“Visit Clarksville continues to be proactive in partnering with local venues to sponsor events that generate high economic impact for our community,” said Kyle Luther, Market President for Traditions First Bank and Board Chairman for Visit Clarksville. “We are extremely thankful for the hard work put in by these attractions to ensure successful events for our visitors.”
The 2023 Night Stalker Shoot is in memory of former Night Stalker, LTC Michael C. Grimm (February 1947 – October 1981). The close ties Cross Creek Clays has formed with the 160th at Fort Campbell have allowed this shoot to become an annual event.
The 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment’s mission is to organize, equip, train, resource, and employ Army special operations aviation forces worldwide in support of contingency missions and combatant commanders. Night Stalkers are known for their proficiency in nighttime operations.
All proceeds from the event will be donated to the Night Stalker Association. The mission of the NSA is to render assistance to Night Stalkers, worthy members, their widows, and orphans by means of loans and/or gifts, camaraderie, and personal assistance.
In 2022, the Night Stalker Shoot had close to 200 participants with an economic impact of $275,000. The projected economic impact of the 2023 event is $450,000 with over 400 participants. This is the first of two large events to be hosted at Cross Creek Clays in the next 30 days. The Duck’s Unlimited Eastern Continental Shoot will be held May 10th-14th.
The King Kat Tournament Trail is returning to Clarksville on April 29th. The Tournament Trail includes 12 events conducted annually in 10 states. Tournament sites are in different areas allowing local anglers in each district the opportunity to compete in a truly national trail.
Teams consist of three members with an optional fourth person who is under the age of 16 or over the age of 65. This optional fourth team member encourages family involvement which is important to the King Kat Tournament Trail.
In 2022, the Clarksville event of the King Kat Tournament Trail saw 35 teams participate with an economic impact of $56,000. The 2023 event is projected to have 50-60 teams participating with an expected economic impact of close to $100,000. The largest fish caught during the 2022 event was 59.3 lbs. The overall winners were Carl Morris and Sean Martin.
“Clarksville will always be special to this tournament because of when it occurred. Our Clarksville tournament in 2022 was the first tournament under new ownership. We did not know what to expect but the turnout and support that we received from Clarksville set the precedent and continues to set the precedent for how we organize our events,” said Scott Peavy with the King Kat Tournament Trail.
“Clarksville still holds the record for the largest flathead catfish currently caught on the tournament trail. We are excited to be a part of the outdoor culture in that area and are looking forward to the upcoming event. There are many other reasons why we love this event; for that, Clarksville will always hold a special place on the schedule,” Peavy stated.
In addition to these events, Visit Clarksville has sponsored 3 other sporting events this month including multiple softball tournaments and the Donnie Everett Classic. These events had an economic impact of over $2 million.
About Visit Clarksville
The Clarksville-Montgomery County Tourism Commission was established by the State of Tennessee in 1979 to positively influence tourism in the Clarksville-Montgomery County area by promoting tourist attractions, hosting conventions, and group tours, and engaging in large-scale marketing efforts.
In 2015, the organization adopted the Visit Clarksville brand. Visit Clarksville is governed by a nine-member board of directors and is funded by a portion of the local hotel-motel tax.
In 2021, tourism spending in Montgomery County totaled $341 million, according to an annual report from the US Travel Association, Tourism Economics, and U.S. Census Bureau.
