75 Years
for 469 Miles Blue Ridge Parkway to celebrate landmark
anniversary
By Scott Nicholson
The Blue Ridge Parkway is going to heat up with 75 candles
on its birthday cake, and local tourism agencies and businesses
are hoping to add some icing and decoration.
The Blue Ridge Parkway is celebrating its 75th anniversary in
2010, with a promotional and educational effort in step with local
partners along the 469-mile national park.
“It’s going to have both national and international
focus on our region,” said Karin Moss, executive director
of the regional tourism-promotion agency High Country Host. “It’s
not just a one-day event. It’s going to focus on the sustainability
of the parkway. It hits a lot of hot buttons in a lot of areas.”
Moss said the event would draw attention to the parkway not just
for the celebration, but for future generations. She said with
travel trends favoring family-oriented, driving activities, the
parkway is a natural fit.
“This celebration is something that is going to drive a lot
of publicity for our area,” Moss said. “In the region
of the High Country Host, we can put together some campaigns to
draw attention to how the parkway is important to this area. There
are a lot of opportunities for our member businesses to piggyback
onto the publicity that will occur.”
The parkway’s 50th anniversary celebration in 1985 spurred
a multi-year increase in media coverage of the area and brought
millions of new visitors to the region, benefiting economies in
the communities adjoining the parkway.
“When people think of our area, they think of the Blue Ridge
Parkway,” Moss said. “It’s going to give us added
exposure. As a marketing person myself, this is an opportunity
knocking loudly.”
Blue Ridge Parkway 75 Inc. has formed as a non-profit entity managing
the anniversary project.
The mission statement of the effort is “to engage local communities
and the nation in efforts to sustain a healthy Blue Ridge Parkway
for future generations by celebrating 75 years of parkway history,
Appalachian culture and spectacular scenic views.”
“What we’re doing here absolutely mirrors what they’re
doing,” Moss said. “I’m really looking forward
to participating in this.”
Moss said the parkway is often taken for granted, and sections
of it are currently closed for repairs. Studies have also pointed
out the value of preserving the scenic view from the parkway.
“We get people in the visitor’s center all the time
asking about the parkway,” she said. “There are so many
great stories about the parkway, and people are looking for these
stories of diversity now more than ever.”
An informational meeting will take place on Jan. 29 at the Mariam
& Robert Hayes Performing Arts Center in Blowing Rock. The
event is hosted by the Blowing Rock Visitor Center and TDA along
with the N.C. High Country Host.
The meeting will begin with a half-hour, informal networking session
at 1:30 p.m. with an agenda running from 2 to 4 p.m. Agenda items
will include an overview of the 75th anniversary project goals,
mission, organizational structure and planning efforts, an update
from the National Park Service, logo and usage and other publicity
efforts.
Those wishing to attend should contact Leesa Brandon at (828)
271-4779 ext. 224, or email lbrandon@nccommerce.com. For further
information on the meeting, contact Tracy Brown of the Blowing
Rock TDA at (828) 295-4636 or tbrown@visitblowingrock.com.
Get Firefox