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The Lexington & Rockbridge Area Tourism Development office provides assistance to working media by filling requests for information and materials. The online press room provides easy access to information about the Lexington and Rockbridge area. If you need additional assistance, please contact L&RATD.
Media inquiries should be directed to:
Mayumi Smitka, Director of Marketing
Lexington & the Rockbridge Area Tourism Development
106 East Washington Street, Lexington, VA 24450
Telephone: 540/463-3777
Fax Line: 540/463-1105
E-mail: marketing@lexingtonvirginia.com
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The Lexington & Rockbridge Area Tourism Development office would be glad to help you develop your story. Here are a few ideas to get you started.
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Saturday April 21, 10-5.
Sunday April 22, 10-5
The picturesque historic town of Lexington and the rolling hills and rivers of Rockbridge County are home and inspiration to dozens of Shenandoah Valley artists. Eleven will open their private workspaces in an inaugural spring studio tour on April 21 and 22, 2012.
An easy self-guided 20-mile loop will take visitors from the heart of the college town, down scenic country roads dotted with blooming redbud and dogwood, to the creative studios of painters and potters, photographers and metal sculptors, and mixed media and assemblage artists.
The distinctive studios are expressions of art in themselves--converted garages, warehouse space, treehouse, hand-built kiln and remodeled cabin--and reflect their owners’ sensibilities and approaches to their work. Some offer solitude and isolation; others thrive on well-traveled neighborhood streets.
The tour will offer an intimate, behind-the-scenes view and a look at how art is created; many artists will have on-going demonstrations and all artists will answer questions about their work and techniques.
Several studios will host guest artists--from West Virginia to North Carolina to the nation's capital--enriching and expanding the venue to nearly 30 participants.
The tour is free and works will be for sale.
Refreshments will be served at each site, offering a taste of premier food and wine artisans in Lexington and Rockbridge County.
The route has been carefully designed so that guests may visit all studios in a single day. Many, however, will want to spend the weekend in Lexington, making the tour a two-day event and taking advantage of many fine restaurants and Bed & Breakfast accommodations the area offers, as well as shopping, historic sites, galleries and the renown educational centers of Washington and Lee University and Virginia Military Institute.
Individual artists will gladly direct you to the next studio; colorful roadside signs will tell you where to turn.
For additional information visit our website at www.lexingtonrockbridgestudiotour.com. Contact: Susan Harb, sharb@ntelos.net
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Local Photographers Featured in 2012 Visitor Guide
Lexington, Buena Vista and Rockbridge Area Tourism is pleased to announce the release of the 2012 Visitor Guide. The 150,000 print copies of the guide are the primary fulfillment piece at the Buena Vista Visitor Center, Lexington Visitor Center and Natural Bridge Information Desk. They are also available at state, regional and local welcome centers, rest areas along I-81 and businesses within Rockbridge County.
Another very important component of the 2012 Visitor Guide is the virtual edition which is shared through the tourism website (www.lexingtonvirginia.com), email blasts to potential visitors and social media sites such as Facebook (www.facebook.com/lexingtonva).
“Our 2011 local market research study shows that 52% of visitors to Lexington, Buena Vista and Rockbridge County prefer online travel resources over print resources,” reports Mayumi Smitka, Director of Marketing. “That means that it is very important for us to expand our online presence while continuing to publish our print materials.”
The front cover image this year was taken by Hysen and Bretty Justo of Natural Bridge Station and features Southern Virginia University in Buena Vista. Each year, the cover shot is rotated among the three jurisdictions that make up the regional tourism program. The 2011 Visitor Guide cover featured Boxerwood Gardens in Rockbridge County, and the 2010 Visitor Guide cover shot featured downtown Lexington.
“Hysen and Bretty Justo’s photo won the 2011 Tourism Photography Contest, and I’m so excited that we were able to use it on the cover,” says Smitka. “The talent that we have right here in Lexington, Buena Vista and Rockbridge County is truly amazing!”
The back cover image was shot by Kevin Remington of Lexington and shows a kayaker navigating the confluence of the Maury and James Rivers in Glasgow. Throughout the rest of the 2012 Visitor Guide are photos taken by other Rockbridge County residents including Jay Gilliam, Edward Gorlin, Thomas Blevins, Steven Shires and Michele Fletcher.
Free print editions of the 2012 Visitor Guide are available at the Lexington Visitor Center, the Buena Vista Visitor Center and the Natural Bridge Information Desk. The virtual edition is available online at www.lexingtonvirginia.com.
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Lexington, Va (November 21, 2011) - Local farms, businesses, and residents will have help in reaping the rewards of agritourism, thanks to a planning grant that’s been made available to the Central Shenandoah Planning District Commission (CSPDC).
Combining agriculture with tourism is the perfect recipe for creating a strong agritourism program in the Shenandoah Valley. That’s what local officials, farmers and business people are hoping to do through the CSPDC’s Fields of Gold initiative. Through this collaborative effort, the region hopes to create opportunities for farmers, entrepreneurs and existing agribusinesses to grow their business and increase their profits, while at the same time, giving the general public opportunities to learn about and enjoy the many faces of agriculture. The goals of the Fields of Gold program are to distinguish the region as an agritourism destination, rebuild value connections between rural and urban populations, and create jobs both on and off the farm.
The term “agritourism” embraces many farming and farm-related activities, including:
• Farmer’s markets
• Locally made value-added products
• On-farm retail markets and roadside stands
• On-farm fee fishing
• Farm tours
• On-farm bed-and-breakfast
• Flour mills
• Harvest-your-own fruit, pumpkins, Christmas trees, etc.
• Corn mazes
• Agricultural-related museums
• Wineries
• On-farm horseback riding
Agritourism has demonstrated a strong potential to attract local residents as well as tourists visiting or passing through the Rockbridge Area. It’s a many-faceted appeal, involving the area’s scenic beauty, the allure of “getting off the beaten track”, the fun of visiting an operating farm, orchard, mill, or vineyard, and the pleasure of buying locally produced foods and other products.
Rockbridge County Board of Supervisors member A. W. “Buster” Lewis says, “The Rockbridge Area is primed to promote agritourism with a vibrant local foods movement, the activities of the Virginia Horse Center, and strong local leadership to preserve our scenic beauty and quality of life.” Lewis, who also serves on the Central Shenandoah Planning District Commission, believes “The Fields of Gold marketing efforts should be a boon to the whole region.”
“My business is dependent on customers knowing about and visiting my farm,” explains Christie Huger, owner of Mountain View Farm Products near Fairfield, which produces “Fresh from the Field” beef, cheese, and butter. “If I can be part of a regional marketing effort like Fields of Gold, my business has the potential to grow and prosper.” Huger is a member of the CSPDC’s steering committee for the Fields of Gold project.
Wade’s Mill in Raphine is another local business in favor of promoting agritourism. Owners Georgie and Jim Young operate an historic water-powered mill that produces stone-ground flours and meals, using locally produced grain. Georgie Young comments, “Our business is enhanced by having visitors to the mill. We think the Fields of Gold marketing effort will help all the many local agritourism businesses in our region.”
The Fields of Gold initiative is being spearheaded by the CSPDC and the Shenandoah Valley Partnership on behalf of the counties, cities, and towns of the Shenandoah Valley. Rockbridge County, Lexington, and Buena Vista each have representatives serving as Commissioners with the CSPDC.
Planning grant funds received from the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development will be used to inventory and map the region’s agricultural assets, sites, and businesses; study the impact of agritourism on the local economy; and promote the region as an agritourism destination. Survey efforts are currently underway to collect information on the region’s agritourism businesses, activities, farm retailers and restaurants featuring local products. Rockbridge Area residents who operate a business suitable for agritourism marketing seasonally, year-around, part-time or full-time are encouraged to fill out an on-line survey that can be found at
www.surveymonkey.com/s/Fields_of_Gold
There are also plans to make printed copies of the survey available through merchants in the area. Survey results will help Fields of Gold project managers develop marketing activities to support the agritourism businesses in the Rockbridge Area.
For more information on the Fields of Gold initiative and how to participate, contact the CSPDC at 540-885-5174 or visit its website at www.cspdc.org
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