North Dakota hopes to lure more to Lawrence Welk home

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — Bandleader Lawrence Welk's trademark bubbles and music attracted legions of adoring fans and made him millions of dollars.

"He was a marketing genius — we're trying to channel him," said Diane Rogness, who manages North Dakota historic sites, including the boyhood home of the late polka-playing bandleader in Strasburg, about 75 miles southeast of Bismarck.

Flush with cash from a once-booming oil economy, state lawmakers paid $100,000 in 2015 to buy the 6-acre Welk site. But attendance has been ho-hum, with about 1,000 mostly elderly people each paying $5 to visit, about $30,000 short of what's needed to cover the annual cost to North Dakota taxpayers of its operations.

The site opens this season May 26. Rogness said several things are being planned to help boost attendance, including an increased social media presence and presenters who will talk about everything from blacksmithing to beer, and perhaps a Woodstock-like "jam session" that could draw accordion players from afar.

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