CLEARFIELD – The COVID-19 virus is not halting Go to Clearfield County from scheduling functions for the spring.
“We are seeking to be pro-lively,” said Josiah Jones, government director of the corporation.
Right now, most space occasions are being cancelled or rescheduled right up until May well primary to a mega-party scheduled for Could 22 and 23 at the Clearfield County Fairgrounds.
The VCC is holding a Chainsaw Carving present, which will characteristic 20 different carvers.
In 2020, Jones reported they held VCC’s to start with Chainsaw Carving party to have something persons could do outside the house. This integrated a number of food trucks that provided good-variety food.
“We set it jointly in about a month’s time,” Jones mentioned. For the reason that it was thriving, they resolved to do a even larger 1 this year.
Following he spoke with Greg Hallstrom, Clearfield County Reasonable supervisor, Hallstrom made a decision to maintain a spring craft honest and food courtroom at the same time.
This endeavor ongoing to increase when Ken Starr of Starr Hill Winery agreed to transfer the Groundhog Wine Trail to that same weekend.
The Chainsaw Carving will be Saturday, May well 22, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sunday, Could 23, from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Every single carver will get two eight-foot logs to “create whatever” they want with the items remaining auctioned off at 3 p.m. that working day.
Jones is hopeful this will stimulate folks to keep in the location for the whole weekend. “We assume we will get resort rooms out of this.”
2021 is continuing to challenge the vacationer agency, which is funded by a county lodge tax.
Very last year’s proceeds from the resort tax were 40 p.c underneath normal and that was with a standard January and February. So, Jones does not count on this 12 months to be a lot much better.
All through the summer months and tumble, the local resorts endured even though the campgrounds, mattress and breakfasts and cabins thrived due to the fact people needed to be outside.
Our clean air, rural site and recreational things to do ended up a significant attraction, and “I believe that will proceed (this yr).”
Developing new journey actions led to the “Lumberjack Tasting Trail,” which consists of men and women visiting location bars and distilleries to sample the various forms of alcoholic beverages and later a “Lumberjack Burger Path,” which is composed of 13 region areas. Both provide no cost T-shirts following you fill in your passport.
These occasions are “ongoing with no conclude date,” he discussed. Any person can decide up a passport and begin at any time of the 12 months.
Finishing the tasting trail can be done in a weekend, but it will acquire a lot for a longer period to complete the burger trail.
Other customer bureaus have comparable courses for only a brief time and as a “pay to play”.
Possessing no price to take part gives persons “the ideal bang for their buck.”
These systems have been “very successful” but not all people turns their passports in for the T-shirts so Jones is unsure how numerous have done it. But they are now doing the job on giving out their second purchase of 2,500 passports.
The trails are bringing new people today in, but “our corporation is not benefiting from this at all,” he observed.
But the financial effect on the place is critical.
They have satisfaction that they are bringing men and women to the region to devote dollars below, he said.
For the reason that Autumn was an active time with numerous holidaymakers coming to the place to see the Elk, the VCC has put with each other an Elk Watch Information for spots in Clearfield County that are significantly less congested than the common spots in Elk County.
These are readily available from the Visit Clearfield County office at 208 Plaza Dr., in Clearfield (in the vicinity of Help save-A-Lot) or you can connect with 814-765-5734.
Ultimately this information will also be out there on the internet.
A single of the other prospective situations he has on his record for this yr is a “Tasting Trail Festival” in possibly mid-summer time or tumble.
Throughout a standard calendar year, the company hosts quite a few journey writers. But in 2020, only three of the five scheduled to check out the place essentially manufactured it in this article.
One particular of them, from Maryland, built her fifth trip below and on each individual excursion, they show her a little something distinct.
Just after she went dwelling and wrote about her working experience, Jones noticed “lots of Maryland plates” in regional parking heaps.
Another author from New Jersey had so a great deal enjoyable she claimed she was coming back on her have.
“Once they get a flavor of what we offer you, they want to come back once more.”
A popular rationale to return is the hospitality.
“They usually remark how they can not believe that how hospitable every person is below,” he mentioned, adding, “we couldn’t request for much better ambassadors.”
Overall, Jones stated despite the problems with the pandemic, “we had hope we could make it via 2020”, he said, even with the resort taxes becoming down. He has hopes for this year as effectively.
“If we get to Could and via that occasion, it could be the get started of a fantastic yr.”