Santa Clarita / Antelope Valley : Cowboys’ Poetry Kind Words for Santa Clarita Economy : Recreation: Survey shows about 3,000 people attended the March festival and spent about $244,000.

Last month’s city-sponsored cowboy poetry festival spurred the local economy by more than $244,000, Santa Clarita’s top economic development official has announced.

Based on a survey of 200 festival-goers--one-tenth the number believed to have bought tickets--nearly $250,000 was spent on Santa Clarita Valley hotels, restaurants and entertainment sites by festival patrons during the three-day event, according to Mike Haviland, economic development coordinator.

“Actually, that’s a conservative number,” Haviland said.

The average festival-goer attended with two other people and spent more than $81 in the Santa Clarita Valley during the three-day event, according to the survey.

Multiplied by the estimated 2,000 ticket-holders and the 1,000 others who attended festival activities not requiring a ticket, the results were a significant economic boost for local businesses, Haviland said.

“We had people who spent well over $1,000, we had others who spent like zero because they’re locals,” Haviland said. “The point is, we’re bringing people into Santa Clarita and they’re spending their money.”

The infusion of money also had a “ripple effect,” as when a restaurant buys more supplies from local grocery stores to accommodate new customers, Haviland said.

The exact attendance and amount of merchandise bought at the festival is unavailable. The estimate of 3,000 attendees is based upon an informal count at the entrance gate, said Gail Foy, city public information officer.

Organizers of the Cowboy Poetry, Music and Film Festival wanted to create a large-scale tourist event that will bring visitors to Santa Clarita and strengthen the identity of the 6-year-old city.

About 89.4% of the survey respondents rated the event “excellent” or “very good” and 95% said they would return to a future festival.

City Council members will decide whether to make the festival an annual affair during the budget process in the next couple of months, Foy said.

Santa Clarita spent $15,000 to host the event at the Melody Ranch Motion Picture Studio in Newhall.

The festival was originally to be held in auditorium of the Newhall high school named for Western silent film star William S. Hart, but the site was damaged in the Northridge earthquake.

Among the city’s earthquake-related requests to the Federal Emergency Management Agency is one for reimbursement of the $13,000 in additional expenses it took to relocate the event to the studio.