Hi Patrick,
It’s that time of year again when we must bring out our sweaters, coats, and sweatshirts as the crisp, cool air and beautiful autumn colors are in full swing. We’ve been swamped this month, with the Autumn Leaves Festival in Mt. Airy taking place last weekend. Over 1,000 people visited our booth, and it was a fantastic experience.
This weekend, the Apple Dumpling Festival will be held in downtown Stuart; pancakes will be served on Sunday in Meadows of Dan; a Barbeque Dinner and car show in Ararat; and music at the Rotary Building given by the PCMA. You can find information about these events and more on our website.
In other news, we’ve significantly increased tourism this year. In 2022, we saw an increase of 3.5% in total spending for tourism in the county. Tourists spent $5.1 million on lodging, $3.2 million on food and beverage, $8.3 million on retail, $2.2 million on recreation, and $4.2 million on transportation. This is a total spending of $23 million, an increase of $800,000 from the previous year. We’re thrilled with this growth and are looking forward to more in the future.
As you sip on your pumpkin spice, we encourage you to come and support our local events. They’re attractions for tourists and opportunities for families to come together. We have much to offer in Patrick, so come and get lost and find yourself here!
I’ll be in touch soon.
Best regards, James Houchins,
Director of Tourism (jhouchins@co.patrick.va.us)