As a way to draw in tourists and provide something for its residents, Victoria will again host several high-profile events this year.

During its meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 12, the town council decided to host its Easter Egg Hunt on Easter Sunday, March 27; host the 36th Autumn Day Celebration on Saturday, Oct. 8; and hold the fifth annual Small Town Christmas on Saturday, Dec. 10.

The Victoria Fire Department will sponsor the second annual Truck/Tractor Pull, Saturday, Oct. 8.

The town had already scheduled to host its fourth annual National Day of the Cowboy event on Saturday, July 23, and — if no other locality or group is willing to do it — is still considering again hosting the Christmas Parade.

“It’s good PR,” Mayor Carol Watson said. “It gets people into our town.”

Council member Lee Scott agreed.

“We’re not losing money,” he said. “But even if we spent a little money, it brings in people.”

Meanwhile, the town is also helping publicize the Saturday, April 23, Central High School 5K Walk/Run and will post the event on the town’s website.

“We’re not hosting it but we try to help them advertise for that,” said Theresa Beckett, who works for the town.

Even before December, town employees were fielding calls about whether the town would again host a National Day of the Cowboy celebration. Beckett, who handles planning for the day-long event for the town, has noted the each year it seems to get a little bigger.

And, she said, “We are always looking for volunteers. That’s always (the) question: how many people will show up to work.”

In fact, Beckett said, a planning meeting for National Day of the Cowboy will be held 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb 2, in the town office, and volunteers are welcomed to attend. (The snow date for the meeting is 7 p.m.  Tuesday, Feb 23.)

Town leaders have noted Victoria has lost money the celebration the last two years it hosted the event, but it has been less each time and the town has learned from it. Meanwhile, Rodney Newton, chief of the Victoria Fire and Rescue Department, said it is good for the community, noting the visitors in brings, “eat in the restaurants; they buy gas.”

The success of the programs is because of the town’s employees, Watson said.

“Any time we do something like that it takes everybody,” she said.