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July 1, 2020 Tidbits A bi-weekly newsletter from HCTDA

th Fireworks Light Up the 4 of July

A spectacular Independence Day fireworks display will take place at 9:30pm. The 4th of July Fireworks Display may be viewed from downtown Hendersonville and the south side of town near the intersection of Hwy. 225 South and Hwy. 176 and along Spartanburg Highway. There is plenty of room for the public to spread out to view the fireworks, since the launch site is centrally located in the business district, just south of downtown. A large red balloon will be launched the morning of the 4th to signify visibility of the fireworks show, if you can see the "Big Red Balloon", you can see the fireworks from your location. The fireworks launch site is off of South Grove Street, which is not accessible by the public.

In keeping with social distancing guidelines there will not be a patriotic tribute or a Music on Main concert held this year on July 4th. Tune into WTZQ AM-1600 & The Q – 95.3 FM for a patriotic soundtrack that will be synchronized to the fireworks display.

Sponsored by – Henderson County Tourism Development Authority, City of Hendersonville, Carolina Ace Hardware & Andy Oxy Hendersonville

For additional information call the Henderson County Tourism Development Authority at 828-693-9708, 800-828-4244 or online at https://www.visithendersonvillenc.org/event/4th-of-july-fireworks

Tourism Research

In January, the Henderson County TDA Board commissioned Magellan Strategy Group to perform a year-long research study of Henderson County’s tourism . Research efforts were underway but were halted during March and April due to the Covid-19 crisis. As the economy began to open up in early May, the research continued.

Periodically, HCTDA Board and Staff seek data from research to aid them in planning for the future of the tourism industry in Henderson County. The research comes from a variety of different resources and measurement tools such as email surveys, exit interviews of actual visitors, economic trend analysis, global impactors and much more. Data extracted from studying people behavior is valuable in determining what drives potential visitors to make their travel decisions. It also helps identifying visitor expectations such as safety, rural, available experiences and more.

As the research continues through the end of this year, the HCTDA Board and Staff will periodically provide quick summaries of the findings for your information. At the end of the study, the research will be made available on HCTDA’s link, Tourism Resources, to hopefully guide the future of tourism in Henderson County to sustainability and economic growth. The current summary is available at https://www.visithendersonvillenc.org/wp-content/uploads/Summary-of-Tourism-Data-and-Research-Initiatives.pdf

Tourism Tidbits Page 2

Start of Summer Concerts Delayed The Summer Concert season has once again been delayed. The Concerts are now set to begin on Monday August 17th and run through Friday, September 25th at the Visitor Center. The outdoor concerts will kick-off with Monday Night Live! on Monday nights August 17 &. 31, followed by Music on Main on Friday Nights August 21 – September 25. The 102nd Annual Street Dances will run Monday nights August 24 & September 14. All concerts are 7-9pm on the Visitor Center stage.

Some or all of the Summer Music Series Concerts may be cancelled or postponed. Events will be held in accordance with North Carolina restrictions, of crowd size and distancing, to help limit the spread of COVID-19. Check regularly for updates.

For more information go to: https://www.visithendersonvillenc.org/latest-news/summer-concerts

New Take on the North Carolina Apple Festival September 4 - 7, 2020 / 9 am – 5 pm Daily Hendersonville is the official home of the North Carolina Apple Festival, a four-day celebration to recognize the importance of the apple industry to Henderson County and North Carolina. It was named as one of the Southeast Tourism Society’s Top 20 Events in the Southeast” for September 2020.

This year’s event will send the public out to the local orchards throughout Henderson County to prevent the gathering of the usual large crowds experienced on Main Street. Apple Festival 2020 will run from, Friday, September 4 through Monday, September 7 of Labor Day Weekend, from 9 am – 5 pm daily, to spread the public out over several days to avoid large crowds. The modifications to the 2020 Apple Festival will follow federal and state mandated guidelines for cleaning, social distancing and limiting crowd size.

The festivities on Main Street will be not held this year, these include the Street Fair, Kiddie , and the King Apple Parade. People are encouraged to support the local apple industry, while practicing the CDC public safety guidelines.

A brochure will feature a map and the participating Henderson County orchards. The information will be available online, including a downloadable version of the brochure, for easy navigation, visit https://www.ncapplefestival.org/ or call 828-697-4557. Also check the Visitor Center web site for updates of participating businesses at, https://www.visithendersonvillenc.org/north-carolina-apple-festival.

Update Your Room Vacancies Pisgah Issues Bear Warning The long 4th of July holiday weekend is upon us, so it is The Pisgah National Forest warns visitors to North Mills River, Bent Creek crucial for accommodations to update their listing on a Experimental Forest and Black Balsam and surrounding areas in the Pisgah regular basis on the HCTDA Room Availability Report Ranger District to be on the look-out for black bears. at https://www.visithendersonvillenc.org/room-availability. Black bears look for food that campers and trail users bring on their trips. To The report is an easy, convenient way for travelers to avoid bear attacks, experts recommend the following: see who has a vacant room in Henderson County. The • Keep your dog on a leash in areas where bears are reported. Room Availability page is also a tool the Visitor Center • If necessary, attempt to scare the animal away with loud shouts, by uses to direct guests to area accommodations. We banging pans together or throwing rocks at it. can’t share your availability with travelers if you don’t • Don’t store food in tents, and don’t leave food unattended. Properly share it with us! store food and scented items like toothpaste by using a bear-proof If your property hasn’t already registered for the container. program, make sure you do so soon. Every day which • Clean up food or garbage around fire rings, grills or other areas of your goes by that you haven’t updated your listing is a day campsite. you could miss out on a potential overnight stay. If you • Never run away from a bear. Back away slowly, don’t run and make would like to set up an account, contact Karen Baker at lots of noise. Playing dead isn’t appropriate. [email protected]. For more tips, visit https://www.fs.usda.gov/visit/know-before-you-go/bears

Tourism Tidbits Page 3

Governor Cooper Extends Phase 2 ] Governor Roy Cooper and North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mandy Cohen announced that North Carolina will remain in Safer at Home Phase 2 until July 17, 2020.

The state of North Carolina is also requiring face coverings when people are out in public starting on Friday, June 26, 2020 at 5pm. People must wear face coverings when in public places, indoors or outdoors, where physical distancing of 6 feet from other people who aren’t in the same household or residence isn’t possible. Face masks are required for all employees and customers of businesses and as well as workers in , , meat processing and settings.

There are exceptions include but are not limited to: l People with medical conditions l Children under 11 l People who are at home l People who are walking or otherwise exercising outside when not within six feet of others

For more information go to: https://files.nc.gov/governor/documents/files/EO-147-FAQ.pdf

Media Spotlight § The Laurel of Asheville – Blue Ridge Craft Trails Month § WBTV-Charlotte - https://qclife.wbtv.com/blue-ridge-craft-trails-month/ th § WYFF-TV4 – 4 of July Fireworks § FOX Carolina – 4th of July Fireworks § Hendersonville Tribune – Intense Fireworks Showcase in Hendersonville on July 4th § WLOS – 4th of July Fireworks - https://wlos.com/news/local/asheville-cancels-july-4th-fireworks-as-hendersonvilles-show-goes-on § Times-News HCTDA Monthly Column - https://www.blueridgenow.com/news/20200622/column-henderson-county-and-travel-after-national-shutdown

§ Times-News - 4th of July Fireworks- https://www.blueridgenow.com/news/20200601/music-on-main-street-dances-modified-july-4-fireworks-to-proceed-in-hendersonville § Hendersonville Lightning – Fireworks Show Set for the Fourth https://www.hendersonvillelightning.com/news/9359-fireworks-show-set-for-the-fourth.html

HCTDA Sponsored Events Creative Packaging • 4th of July Fireworks / south side of town near the The post-coronavirus economic recovery is a great time to partner with other local intersection of Hwy. 225 South and Hwy. 176 businesses to develop creative Stay & Play packages. The Stay & Play Package page on the HCTDA web site lists accommodations that offer travel packages, the • Monday Night Live / Aug 17 & 31/ 7-9pm / Visitor categories include Lodging, Dining, Attractions, Golf, Outdoor Recreation and Center / Pending Weddings. The trend in travel today is geared toward packages, because • Music on Main / Aug 21 – Sept 18 / 7-9pm / Visitor travelers want everything planned for them. Center / Pending • Street Dance / Aug 24 & Sept 14 / 7-9pm / Visitor The overnight stays may be bundled in very creative ways to make their stays in Center / Pending Hendersonville an experience such as including The Cheers Trail Passport, Gem , Zip Lining, Apple Picking or a free appetizer at a local . • HCTDA Board Meeting / July 28 / 1pm Innkeepers that offer packages on their web site may contact Karen Baker (schedule subject to state mandates) [email protected] to be included on the page. Check out the packages being offered https://www.visithendersonvillenc.org/travel-packages

COVID-19 Updated Resources For COVID-19 resources and small businesses information go to: https://www.visithendersonvillenc.org/covid-19-information Click for a list of restaurants offering take-out food : https://www.visithendersonvillenc.org/carry-out-food

Contact Us 201 S. Main St. Hendersonville, NC 28792 HCTDA (828) 693-9708 [email protected] Fax (828) 697-4996 www.VisitHendersonvilleNC.org Facebook.com/VisitHendersonvilleNC