By Stephen Smoot
The area’s earliest regular tourist event, Maple Days, concluded earlier this month. The Pendleton County Convention and Visitors Bureau board made the after action discussion an important topic in their regular March meeting, held a week afterwards.
One of the significant changes in 2024 over previous years lay in bringing attractions to the CVB office parking lot in Franklin. Deans Gap Farms and the Pendleton County Farmers Market set up shop in the lot. The CVB office remained open for those needing information.
Lindsay Kazarick reported that “we were set up at the CVB office. It was beautiful outside.” She further explained that “we did things a little differently this year and I don’t think we will do it that way again.”
Annie Humes reported that approximately 300 people stopped by the office, many on the hunt for free samples.
Until 2024, the main event centered around McCoy’s Mill. This attracted visitors, but also served as a jumping off point for seeking out producers who open their doors for the festival. This year, they pulled more into Franklin, but this reduced somewhat the engagement with producers around the county.
“It was a good event for the producers,” Kazarick noted. She also said, “It was not what we have historically seen.” She explained that the ultimate goal lay in promoting the producers and getting visitors to their businesses.
“It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t where we wanted it to be,” she said, adding that next year, she wanted to see planning take place sooner. Kazarick also mentioned that Jedediah Smith and Back Roads of Appalachia had an interest in creating an event for motorsports that involved maple producers during the festival. The board also discussed deploying food trucks to producer locations.
Kazarick also mentioned that “the Korner Shop has been a phenomenal partner” over the years.
Furthermore, the group discussed involving the Travel Club at Pendleton County High School with events, such as potentially holding a buckwheat pancake and sausage breakfast. Other suggestions, some from the community at-large, included holding a maple themed pageant, a scavenger hunt involving producers, and bringing back a 5K run to the area.
The travel club might also provide other opportunities for collaboration. Kazarick noted that “there’s already some energy going on there.”
Amber Nesselrodt, executive director of the CVB, noted that she had received the “draft outline from Alan Thomas of Pendleton Outdoors” for a hunting and fishing guide serving the county. She plans to have the final product available sometime in spring, or summer at the latest.
Next, Nesselrodt reported that Elizabeth Scott informed her that the Town of Franklin would take over the beautification project. Scott also told her that an anonymous, yet generous, donor will pick up the cost of the hanging baskets this year.
Finally, Nesselrodt reported progress with the West Virginia Department of Highways in terms of moving forward with new welcome signs at the county lines. She said that the department of highways put stakes up for the signs, but the CVB needs final approval from their engineer to move forward. The Mon Forest Towns organization offered support and may also add a kiosk in Franklin similar to that placed at Yokum’s near Seneca Rocks.
