Tag Archive for: #vancecountytourism

Downtown Henderson Ready to ‘Show, Shine, Shag & Dine’ This Weekend!

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Don’t miss the 17th Annual Show, Shine, Shag & Dine this Friday, October 19 and Saturday, October 20, 2018, in downtown Henderson. 1978 and older antique cars, classic cars, nostalgia drag cars, muscle cars, street rods, rat rods and trucks will cover a ten-block area of Garnett Street in Historic Downtown Henderson.

The Corbitt Preservation Association will also host their annual Corbitt Truck Show and Reunion on Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. This year, the Corbitt group will set up on the corner of Garnett and Montgomery Streets.

Additionally, the Corbitt Museum will be open to visitors on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The museum is located at 180 Church Street, Henderson.

This world-class car show is one of the largest tourism draws and economic boosts to Vance County each year. Local hotels, gas stations, restaurants, stores and places of entertainment all benefit from the dollars spent over the weekend.

2018 Show, Shine, Shag & Dine Schedule:

Friday, October 19

11 a.m. – 4 p.m. ~ Cruise-in and BBQ cookout for event guests. Meal served 12:30 – 2:30 p.m. $12 per plate cover charge at the door. Location: Satterwhite Point Park, Kerr Lake, I-85 – Exit 217.

7 – 10 p.m. ~ Receptions at host hotels (for their guests) – Hampton Inn, Baymont Inn & Suites, Red Roof Inn Plus and Sleep Inn.

7 – 11 p.m. ~ Cruise around town on your own or visit Raleigh Road Outdoor Drive-In Theatre.

Saturday, October 20

7:30 – 11 a.m. ~ Car registration – open to all makes and models 1978 and older. Antique cars, classic cars, nostalgia drag cars, muscle cars, street rods, rat rods and trucks. Judged cars $25; other vehicles $20. Dash plaques to the first 400 cars.

7:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. ~ Show and Shine, live entertainment, DJ Cliff Cox, food, vendors, judging and awards.

7:30 – 11 p.m. ~ Cruise around town on your own or visit Raleigh Road Outdoor Drive-In Theatre.

No personal golf carts, bicycles or pets allowed. Golf cart taxi rides will be provided for people needing assistance for health reasons. Children ride with adult supervision only.

For more information, please visit www.kerrlake-nc.com or call 1-866-438-4565.

17th Annual ‘Show, Shine, Shag & Dine’ Only One Month Away!

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Vance County Tourism Development Director Pam Hester and Administrative Assistant Norman Dickerson were on Thursday’s edition of WIZS’ Town Talk program to discuss tourism news and upcoming events.

The next tourism-sponsored event will be the 17th Annual Show, Shine, Shag & Dine on Friday, October 19 and Saturday, October 20 in downtown Henderson. 1978 and older antique cars, classic cars, nostalgia drag cars, muscle cars, street rods, rat rods and trucks will cover a ten-block area of Garnett Street in Historic Downtown Henderson.

With only one month to go until the big event, the tourism department is busy preparing for the thousands of guests who will be visiting Henderson and Vance County.

This world-class car show is one of the largest tourism draws and economic boosts to Vance County each year. Local hotels, gas stations, restaurants, stores and places of entertainment all benefit from the dollars spent over the weekend.

2018 Show, Shine, Shag & Dine Schedule:

Friday, October 19

11 a.m. – 4 p.m. ~ Cruise-in and BBQ cookout for event guests. Meal served 12:30 – 2:30 p.m. $12 per plate cover charge at the door. Location: Satterwhite Point Park, Kerr Lake, I-85 – Exit 217.

7 – 10 p.m. ~ Receptions at host hotels (for their guests) – Hampton Inn, Baymont Inn & Suites, Red Roof Inn Plus and Sleep Inn.

7 – 11 p.m. ~ Cruise around town on your own or visit Raleigh Road Outdoor Drive-In Theatre.

Saturday, October 20

7:30 – 11 a.m. ~ Car registration – open to all makes and models 1978 and older. Antique cars, classic cars, nostalgia drag cars, muscle cars, street rods, rat rods and trucks. Judged cars $25; other vehicles $20. Dash plaques to the first 400 cars.

7:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. ~ Show and Shine, live entertainment, DJ Cliff Cox, food, vendors, judging and awards.

7:30 – 11 p.m. ~ Cruise around town on your own or visit Raleigh Road Outdoor Drive-In Theatre.

No personal golf carts, bicycles or pets allowed. Golf cart taxi rides will be provided for people needing assistance for health reasons. Children ride with adult supervision only.

For more information, please visit www.kerrlake-nc.com or call 1-866-438-4565.

Television Show ‘Fishing University’ to Feature Kerr Lake, Vance Co. Attractions

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-Press Release, Fishing University

Internationally televised, Emmy award-winning television show, Fishing University, will soon make Vance County home, filming an episode to air in 2019 and featuring not only Kerr Lake but local dining, activities and attractions. The film crew, along with hosts/fishing legends Charlie Ingram and Ray Brazier, will arrive on September 24, to fish and film.

Fishing University holds a viewership of more than 63 million households, airing in all 50 states as well as in 51 additional countries. Vance County Tourism Development Authority is serving as point-of-contact for the project, viewing it as a strategic marketing opportunity to reach a target audience of potential guests seeking an outdoor travel destination.

Charlie Ingram and Ray Brazier with Fishing University. (Photo Credit Fishing University)

“When Fishing University reached out to us with their proposal, Norman and I knew it would be a natural fit to accompany our other marketing and advertising efforts for 2019,” said Pam Hester, executive director of the Vance County Tourism Development Authority. “We will not only be able to put a spotlight on the world-renowned fishing opportunities in our region but also feature the community, culture and activities that guests can experience while visiting.”

Within the 30-minute episode, a 90-second promotional spot will be included. The spots will be created to mirror the marketing efforts of the Tourism Department. Hosts Ingram and Brazier will also include numerous mentions of their location during the show.

In addition to filming promotional spots and fishing, the hosts and film crew will also present a one-hour program at Vance County High School to share with area youth the importance of attaining an education and the outdoor career options available to them. The session will offer a “Q & A” time with a discussion of majors such as communications, marketing, biology, wildlife management and animal husbandry. The school will have a 90-second segment within the show.

“We are proud to welcome Fishing University to Vance County,” said Hester. “Coverage such as this will be seen by an audience of anglers that travel and have expendable income which will be good from both a branding and economic impact perspective.”

The competitive fishing show is packed with how-to tips and tricks of the trade, making it popular among competitive amateur and professional anglers. Viewers of World Fishing Network and the Outdoor and Sportsman Channels tend to spend more time on the water and are more active consumers than those of competing networks.

About Fishing University
As one of the longest-running Outdoor TV shows, Fishing University is celebrating 33 years of bringing quality fishing programming to avid viewers. Each week they hit the water accompanied by friends and professionals in the industry, as viewers are engaged in a competitive show that is packed full of ‘how to tips’. Not only is the show exciting, but it also lets people in on ‘tricks of the trade’ from some of the very best in the outdoor industry. Fishing University can be seen on the Outdoor Channel, World Fishing Network and The Sportsman Channel in all 50 states and 51 other countries. To see the entire schedule go to www.fishingu.com, and be sure to visit Fishing University on Facebook.

Sponsors of Fishing University Include
Charger Boats, Honda Marine, Jackson Kayak, Spro, Raymarine, T-H Marine, Power Pole, Orion Coolers, Cashion Rods, Strike King Lures, StormR, Cedar Creek Beef Jerky, Soft Science Footwear, Lithium Pros Batteries, Schrader Orthopedic & Stem Cell Treatment Center, Shooting Concepts, Marine Master Trailers, Gruv Fishing, BALSAX Line and Nite Track.

Vance County Tourism

New Vance Co. Tourism Director Focused on Annual Show, Shine, Shag & Dine

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With just 29 days as executive director of the Vance County Tourism Development Authority under her belt, Pam Hester is already working diligently on the annual car show, planning new events and discovering “hidden treasures” in the area.

Hester, who began her new role on July 2, 2018, previously worked with Henderson’s Main Street Program organizing, directing and coordinating overall operations of the Henderson-Vance Downtown Development Commission and the Main Street Program.

Along with Norman Dickerson, administrative assistance for Vance County Tourism, Hester was on-air Tuesday with WIZS’ Town Talk program to discuss Vance County’s largest tourism event – the annual Show, Shine, Shag and Dine Car Show. This popular event, held on Garnett Street in historic downtown Henderson, will celebrate its 17th year entertaining locals and visitors alike on Friday, October 19 and Saturday, October 20, 2018.

“Right now, we are working daily on the car show,” said Hester. “We are expecting 25,000 people to come to town.”

With the exception of 2016, when a hurricane literally rained on the parade, Dickerson said the show continues to grow, “We have a lot of repeats [attendees], but we also have new people that come each year. This is the show’s 17th year, so it has a good foundation.”

While working hard to put the finishing touches on the car show, Hester and Dickerson are also keeping other ideas on the “backburner.” “We are working on having a bass television show come and do a segment on Kerr Lake and Vance County,” Hester said. “We are also working on fishing tournaments and contracts.”

Perhaps Hester’s biggest accomplishment in her less than a month in office has been the creation of the Vance County Tourism Facebook page. “I’m big into social media, so we’ve created a Facebook page and we are trying to promote what I’m calling the ‘hidden treasures’ of the area.”

Hester has been pleasantly surprised by the number of Vance County residents who are sharing information from the new page, “I think it’s huge that so many people are helping us promote tourism. We have a great city in Henderson and a great county in Vance County.”

In addition to social media, Hester believes the key to successfully promoting tourism in the area includes “marketing, teamwork, building partnerships, community support and capitalizing on the resources that we have.”

And, according to Hester, Vance County has many current resources that can be promoted in new ways, “Vance County is so fortunate to have a state-of-the-art facility in McGregor Hall, a state-of-the-art library, Kerr Lake and many hidden treasures.”

Hester has spent some time in her first month in office exploring areas of Vance County that she was previously unfamiliar with. “As a life-long resident, I can say some of the things I’ve been exposed to in my less than 30 days [on the job], I did not realize were here.”

Starting the job mid-year, Hester said she set two goals for herself, “My goals [for this year] when I came on-board were to make the car show happen and to bring in one new event and I think we already have that secured.”

Hester said details about new events are in the early planning stages and will be revealed in the near future.

Vance County Tourism

Pamela Hester Named Vance Co. Tourism Director

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-Press Release, Vance County Tourism Development Authority Board

The Vance County Tourism Development Authority is pleased to announce the hiring of Pamela Weathers-Hester, as the next Tourism Development Director. She will begin in this position on July 2, 2018.

Mrs. Hester has background experience in advertising, marketing, and community outreach locally and in areas across North Carolina. She previously worked with Henderson’s Main Street Program organizing, directing, and coordinating overall operations of the Henderson-Vance Downtown Development Commission and the Main Street Program.

Mrs. Hester is excited to be able to show the world that Vance County, Home of Kerr Lake, is a great place for hosting tourism-related events and activities. She will be a welcome addition to the county’s management team and the Vance County community.

Kerr Lake’s Independence Day Celebration Set for Sat., June 30

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-Information courtesy Norman Dickerson, Admin. Assistant, Vance County Department of Tourism

Independence Day Weekend Celebration – Fireworks, Entertainment & Food

Fireworks over the water at Kerr Lake, Satterwhite Point, in Henderson, NC on Saturday, June 30, 2018.

Entertainment presented by “Frankie Faucet & The Drips” Band.

Food vendors on site. Bring a lawn chair or a blanket. Enjoy the music and good food.

FREE event admission, but $7.00 per car gate fee charged by NC State Parks.

7 – 10 p.m.

NO ALCOHOL ALLOWED!

Directions: From I-85, take Exit 217 and follow the signs to the park. Park entrance located directly across from 6254 Satterwhite Point Road.

Sponsored by Vance County Department of Tourism – www.kerrlake-nc.com

(This is not a paid advertisement; however, there are paid advertisements on WIZS for this event)

Vance County Tourism

Vance County Tourism Director Nancy Wilson Retiring End of March

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By: Kelly Bondurant, Freelance Writer/Editor for Hire

After 20 years of service, Nancy Wilson, the long-serving director of the Vance County Department of Tourism, is looking forward to retiring at the end of the month.

“I’ve been working all of my life,” said Wilson. I’m ready to retire.”

Wilson’s career in tourism began in 1998 when she was hired as a contractor by the Henderson-Vance Economic Development Commission (EDC). According to Wilson, the first assignment given to her was to increase the number of fishing tournaments held at Kerr Lake. “At that time, we were not competitive with South Hill or Clarksville, VA,” Wilson said. “I had to beg the tournament directors to give us a chance; please just let us host a tournament and see how it goes.”

Wilson’s efforts paid off by way of an increase in fishing tournaments, including high dollar $100k tournaments such as the Fishing League Worldwide (FLW). “When it showed up on the front page of USA TODAY that Vance County hosted a tournament, it was great publicity for us and was worth all of the time and effort,” said Wilson.

In addition to fishing tournaments, Wilson has also been instrumental in increasing tourism at Kerr Lake thanks to the addition of a Fourth of July fireworks display. “We never had a firework display around the lake area and I thought we needed to entertain our visitors while they were there,” said Wilson. “That’s one of the biggest holidays for the parks.”

Wilson knows from experience how special the fireworks are for many visitors. “People start calling the tourism office as soon as the fireworks are over wanting to know the date for next year’s show so they can book their campsite.”

A success since its inception 20 years ago, the patriotic fireworks are held on the Saturday closest to the 4th of July to better accommodate visitors’ schedules.

Wilson is also proud of creating the Parade of Lights on Water, a floating parade featuring Kerr Lake’s best-decorated boats. A staple for several years, a decline in participation led to the cancellation of the event.

Another one of Wilson’s successful endeavors is the annual Show, Shine, Shag & Dine and East Coast Drag Times Hall of Fame event held each fall. What started as a small gathering of friends grew into the economic boom that it is for Vance County today.

“It started as a group of people meeting at my house. Then we had to move it to the community building at Satterwhite Point because it kept growing and people were coming from everywhere,” Wilson said. “I thought about it for a long time and thought I could make a tourism event out of it.”

Wilson presented her idea of combining a car show and a drag car hall of fame to the Henderson-Vance EDC Board and they implemented the first event in 2001.

The exact economic impact of events such as fishing tournaments, Fourth of July events and Show, Shine, Shag & Dine is hard to calculate, but the increased spending on gas, hotel rooms, restaurants and entertainment are a huge boost to the local economy.

According to Wilson, visitors come from all over the country to attend these events, thanks in part to a strong, nationwide advertising campaign that includes multiple publications. “We advertise in recreation magazines, recreation guides, motorsports magazines, car show magazines, at welcome centers, in airports, online, on the radio and in print,” said Wilson.

When asked what advice she has for the next tourism director, Wilson said they’ll have their own ideas that will bring value to the area.  She said, “I’m sure they’ll put their own twist on it and do what they think is best. If I can help in any way, I’ll be glad to.”

Wilson plans to remain active in the Roanoke River Basin Association, an organization that she feels is vital to the lake area. “I will continue to serve on the association and try to keep the County informed on issues,” Wilson said. “It is so important. That water is like liquid gold.”

As for life after retirement, Wilson says it will be a continuation of traveling all over the country, playing with cars and attending car shows.

“I don’t have a bucket list,” Wilson said. “People say when they retire they will do this or that, well, I’ve already done all of that.”

Kerr Lake Readies For T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League Piedmont Division Opener Presented by Navionics

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WHAT: The 2017 T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) tournament season will open Saturday, March 25, for Piedmont Division anglers with a tournament on Kerr Lake presented by Navionics. Up to 400 boaters and co-anglers will be competing for top awards of up to $8,000 and $3,000 respectively in the one-day tournament.

WHEN: Saturday, March 25, 2017

Piedmont Division

Kerr Lake

Nutbush North

115 Jack Wade Farm Road

Henderson, N.C.

Hosted by the Vance County Department of Tourism

NOTES: Piedmont Division anglers can expect Kerr Lake to produce some sizeable bass for this BFL opener. Fans following the action will likely see competitors flipping and pitching to flooded bushes with jigs and Texas-rigged soft-plastics. A variety of moving baits including crankbaits, spinnerbaits and umbrella rigs may also play a role near wood. A five-bass limit nearing 18 pounds should be enough to take top honors at this late-March BFL event.

The 2017 BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. Top performers in the BFL can move up to the Costa FLW Series or even the FLW Tour.

For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the BFL on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing.

About FLW

FLW is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, providing anglers of all skill levels the opportunity to compete for millions in prize money in 2017 across five tournament circuits. Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, with offices in Minneapolis, FLW conducts more than 274 bass-fishing tournaments annually across the United States and sanctions tournaments in Canada, China, Mexico, South Africa and South Korea. FLW tournament fishing can be seen on the Emmy-nominated “FLW” television show, broadcast to more than 564 million households worldwide, while FLW Bass Fishing magazine delivers cutting-edge tips from top pros. For more information visit FLWFishing.com and follow FLW at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat.

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15th Annual Show, Shine, Shag, Dine

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Show, Shine, Shag and Dine and East Coast Drag Times Hall of Fame

October 14th, 15th and 16th, the Vance County Tourism Development Authority presents the 15th Annual Show, Shine, Shag and Dine and The East Coast Drag Times Hall of Fame and Reunion.

Tourism Director Nancy Wilson said the reunion and drag racing hall of fame inductions is what it’s all about.  She said, “It all leads up to this.  It’s a way to honor these guys for their contributions.  They’ve learned so much and have shared it with the racing world.”

Wilson said she started the show here to honor these drag racing legends, folks like Roy Johnson, Levi Holmes, John Livingston and his “Tennessee Thunder,” and nostalgia fuel dragsters.  She said, “They come to reunite and are just as happy as a lark to be here.”

You can join in too and see the inductions.  Admission is free on Sunday, October 16th.  Starting at 10 a.m., meet race icons of the 50s, 60s and 70s at the Vance Granville Community College Civic Center.  Everyone is invited to attend.

Saturday, October 15th is the big show day in downtown Henderson.  1976 and older antique, classic cars and nostalgia drag cars line the streets.  Admission is free on Saturday, and there will be vendors, food and live entertainment.

About 30,000 people are expected, at least that’s how many appeared last year.  In a wrap up article posted on WIZS.com last year, Wilson was asked to compare the show here to shows done elsewhere in towns the size of Henderson.  She said, “I don’t think there’s anyone who can compare.  We’re not a festival.  That’s not what we do.  It’s an event, a production.  The State Fair is about as close as I can get to the number of people at one location at one time.”

The economic impact here, for spending done while the show is here, will be between 2.5 and 3.0 million dollars.  If you ask around, the community, the people here and the leadership here are grateful for the show and especially for all the cars and drivers and legends that come in from out of town.

On Friday, October 14th at Satterwhite Point on Kerr Lake, guests will enjoy a southern style barbecue from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. for a $10 cover charge.

See more below and online at kerrlake-nc.com.

show-shine-shag-dine-2016

Visitor Spending In Vance Up 4.7 Percent

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The director of The Vance County Department of Tourism attributes increased visitor spending to a combination of marketing, a supportive board and successful events.

When specifically asked to what she attributed the 4.7 percent increase, Tourism Director Nancy Wilson said, “A very strong marketing campaign, a good board that stands behind the tourism department and our success in the events that we host and organize.  It’s a combination of all of those I think.”

One of the signature events of The Vance County Department of Tourism is the annual Show, Shine, Shag and Dine.  The 15th annual Show, Shine, Shag and Dine is coming up October 14th, 15th and 16th in downtown Henderson.  If the past few years are any indication, some 30,000 people will attend the event to see vintage and drag cars with a total economic impact of between 2.5 and 3.0 million dollars, this data according to previous WIZS news articles quoting Wilson.

Governor Pat McCrory’s office today issued a press release (click here for full version) indicating visiting spending was up in 91 of North Carolina’s 100 counties.  Of those, Vance County is in the top 10 of largest percentage increases at 4.7 percent behind Polk with 11.8 percent and Cherokee with 7.8 percent.

In terms of ranking counties by actual domestic travelers’ expenditures, some counties that you might expect topped the list with Mecklenburg first, Wake second, Guilford third, Dare fourth and Buncombe fifth.

Wilson said about Vance, “We knew it was up.  We can tell from collections each month.  The motels have had an extremely good year.  We are just tickled to death.  I mean we’ve got the least number of rooms we’ve ever had, and we’ve got the largest collections, so that tells you something.  They are staying full.”

Wilson reiterated the impact on retail sales tax in Vance County too, of which retail sales tax figures are up for Vance County.  She said visitors are coming here and boosting the retail sales tax figures.

She said, “We’ll keep on doing what we’re doing because it must be working, and we’ll just work a little harder.”