Weekly e-newsletter for Visit NC Partners - May 30, 2024
IN THIS ISSUE: * Visit NC’s June webinar showcases Outdoor NC, Trail Town Stewardship Program
* Visit NC leads ‘Quiet Luxury’ fam of High Point, Chapel Hill and Cary
* Hosted Esquire writer highlights Raleigh’s St. Roch
* NC-filmed ‘Summer Camp’ opens in theaters tomorrow
* 'Battle on the Beach' at Oak Island for Season 4
Visit NC’s June webinar showcases Outdoor NC, Trail Town Stewardship Program
For its June webinar, Visit NC's Partner & Industry Relations team will share information on the latest advancements with Outdoor NC and the launch of the Trail Town Stewardship Program and Guide. In the inaugural year, 15 partners were enrolled in the Trail Town program. The webinar will provide a recap of the program's progress, delve into program outcomes, and outline the upcoming release of the trail guide and enrollment details for the next cohort of Trail Towns. The Great Trail State Coalition will also join the webinar and provide an update on what's next for trails around the state. The webinar will be June 13 at 10 a.m. Click
here to register.
Visit NC leads ‘Quiet Luxury’ fam of High Point, Chapel Hill and Cary Visit NC’s PR team, in conjunction with partners at Visit High Point, Visit Chapel Hill and Visit Raleigh, hosted four journalists on a familiarization tour last week with a “Quiet Luxury” theme. The trip included an informative tour of Furnitureland South in High Point, exploration of Lavender Oak Farm in Chapel Hill, which included sipping lavender-infused water, and an immersive walking tour of Downtown Cary Park, as well as dining at many independent restaurants, plus accommodations at Pandora’s Manor in High Point, The Carolina Inn in Chapel Hill and The Mayton in Cary.
Visit NC's media familiarization tours are a joint collaboration with destination marketing partners across the state. As part of its public relations efforts, Visit NC partners with DMOs, attractions and hotels to showcase all that North Carolina has to offer visitors. Hosting fam tours allow media and influencers to experience various aspects of the state so they can, ideally, produce articles about North Carolina. To learn more about Visit NC's public relations program, contact the PR team at media@visitnc.com.
Hosted Esquire writer highlights Raleigh’s St. Roch
As a result of a media visit arranged by the Visit NC PR team, in partnership with Visit Raleigh, St. Roch Fine Oysters + Bar was featured in Esquire.com’s "The 10 Best Oyster Bars in America Right Now."
The writer shared details about the New Orleans roots of chef-owner Sunny Gerhart, an Ashley Christensen protégé and James Beard semi-finalist for Best Chef Southeast, then urged diners to “nab the seats closest to the oyster-shucking station and watch how the pros do it. The oysters come with fried saltines for snacking on the side; this will make you question why all saltines don’t come golden, brown, and delicious by default.” Esquire.com attracts more than 19.7 unique monthly visitors.
NC-filmed ‘Summer Camp’ opens in theaters tomorrow
The NC-filmed feature “Summer Camp” opens in theaters tomorrow (Friday). Production took place in 2023 in the Western Prosperity Zone, with the main site being Camp Pinnacle outside of Hendersonville (and the camp keeps its name in the film). The production had a direct in-state spend of more than of $11.3 million, while creating 731 job opportunities, including 199 crew positions for the state’s highly skilled film professional workforce. The film follows three childhood best friends who used to spend every summer at a sleep-away camp together. After years, when the opportunity to get back together for a summer camp reunion presents itself, they all seize it. The film stars Diane Keaton, Kathy Bates, Alfre Woodard and Eugene Levy. View the
trailer here.
‘Battle on the Beach’ at Oak Island
HGTV’s “Battle on the Beach” returns for Season 4 on June 3, this time at Oak Island. Designers Taniya Nayak, Ty Pennington and Alison Victoria, along with their two-person teams of promising renovators, will select a property from three similar four-bedroom, two-bathroom houses (sight unseen!). Primed with the biggest-ever Battle on the Beach renovation budget – $100,000 –and invaluable advice from their mentors, each team will transform their rundown home into a desired waterfront dwelling. View the trailer via the show’s website.
Former N.C. Travel & Tourism board member, Kings Mountain TDA board member Rick Moore dies Rick Moore, who served on the N.C. Travel & Tourism Board and Kings Mountain TDA Board, died May 27. The funeral was held yesterday (Wednesday) in Kings Mountain. Memorials may be made to First Baptist Church, 605 W. King St., Kings Mountain, NC 28086 or Hospice of Cleveland County, 953 Wendover Heights Dr., Shelby, NC 28150. Read the obituary here.
NOAA hurricane season forecast is highest number of storms ever predicted
NOAA (the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) issued its hurricane season forecast last week that said there is an 85 percent chance of more named storms, more hurricanes and more major hurricanes than the average. The forecast is NOAA's most aggressive ever issued ahead of a hurricane season. It predicts 17 to 25 named storms, 8 to 13 hurricanes and 4 to 7 major hurricanes (of Category 3 or higher).
The forecasts for the Atlantic hurricane season factor in a La Niña pattern, meaning weaker easterly trade winds and below average vertical wind shear. Basically, in La Niña conditions, there is less wind to break up a tropical system as it organizes. Atlantic hurricane season officially begins June 1 and runs through November.
Comments being accepted for proposed guidelines for Major Events, Games, & Attractions Fund
Local governments in North Carolina will soon be able to apply for funds from a new program designed to support their efforts to attract major events to North Carolina and to their regions. Proposed guidelines for the Major Events, Games, and Attractions Fund, which was established by the NC General Assembly, are now available. The NC Department of Commerce is currently seeking comments on these draft guidelines. Public comments on the guidelines will be accepted in oral and written form until 5 p.m. on June 13. To submit comments or to find out more, click
here. No funds are currently available from the fund, and Commerce is not yet accepting applications.
Vote for NC sites among ‘Best places for desserts and treats’
North Carolina has three sites among the nominations for 10Best's Readers' Choice Awards categories for “Best affordable ways to travel.” Online voting by readers is now open via USAToday.com; click on the hyperlink to vote. Voting ends at noon onJune 17.
June brings the ‘Lighthouse Issue’ For its June edition, Our State magazine offers the “Lighthouse Issue.” “Restaurant” highlights The Herringbone on the Waterfront in Edenton; “Quirky Detour” visits Sweet Valley Ranch in Fayetteville; “Outdoors” stops by Perquimans County History Museum; and “Festival” enjoys the Carolina Beach Music Festival. The June issue is available now.
For the week of May 30, "North Carolina Weekend” offers “Making Memories.” Featured segments include Downtown Cary Park and Cary Quilting Company in Cary; Kaleideum in Winston-Salem; Blake Farms in North Wilkesboro and Blake Farms RV Resort in Union Grove; and French Broad Chocolate in Asheville. (Check local listings, as segments are subject to change.) "North Carolina Weekend" is underwritten by Visit North Carolina. In addition, PBS North Carolina has recent editions of "North Carolina Weekend" available online.
Visit North Carolina is part of the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina
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