“Napoleon Dynamite” Town Demonstrates Tourism Skills
Travel Blog • Michael Yessis • 07.11.06 | 11:53 AM ET
Preston, Idaho is cashing in on its Napoleon Dynamite connection. Much of the movie that unleashed the “Vote for Pedro” T-shirt upon the world was filmed in the little town on the Utah border, and it has capitalized with a “Napoleon Dynamite” festival, city-sponsored merchandise and on-location tourism.
From an AP story:
On State Street, the town’s central artery, stores such as Big J Burgers and The Gingerbread Shoppe are pitching their roles, however small, in the success of the film.
At Big J, which was featured in the movie (though at a different location in Richmond, Utah, about 15 miles south), the marquee exclaims, “Gosh! Come in and get your own dang tots! Napoleon Dynamite stuff here!”
Tourists who sample Napoleon’s favorite snack often leave with shirts that read: “Big J: Where your wildest dreams come true.”
“We started doing our own shirts but didn’t think much would happen,” said manager Dave Johnson. “They really went better than we had anticipated.”
Patrick Zook, the real-life Rex Kwon Do, a testosterone-fueled martial artist in the movie, sells items that features the logo of his dojo, the same one visited by Napoleon and his brother, Kip.
Zook, who was an extra like so many townspeople, sells T-shirts, American flag pants and foam-covered nunchakus featuring one-liners from the film such as “Bow to your sensei!”
According to the AP, Preston has made $1 million on the “Napoleon Dynamite” connection.
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Michael Yessis is the cofounder and coeditor-in-chief of World Hum.
