On Friday a satellite media tour launched at Weldon Mills Distillery.
Representatives from national, regional, and in-state outlets were invited to join this virtual tour and Q&A session.
Stations from New York/New Jersey, Miami, Tampa, Chattanooga, Columbus and Nashville answered the call and linked up for a virtual discussion about the region.
Bruce Tyler, co-founder of Weldon Mills Distillery, and Wit Tuttell, executive director of Visit North Carolina, were on hand to give viewers a first-hand description of all our region has to offer.
This event was part of Visit North Carolina’s Dream Big in Small Town NC initiative.
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The state’s northeast lakes and rivers region, an area Halifax County Convention and Visitors Bureau President and CEO Lori Medling described as one “dotted with waterside gems, refreshing views, and resonant history,” was featured on Friday.
Travelers can try their luck with sweepstakes prizes as they follow the Dream Big initiative’s roadmap to under-the-radar destinations that will welcome a boost in visitation and interest in longer stays.
“Halifax, Henderson, Tarboro, Warrenton — these towns and others invite travelers to cozy up and connect,” said Tuttell. “Their appeal is immediate as well as timeless, with fresh vitality springing from the big dreams of hometown heroes and newly arrived visionaries. Now makes a perfect time for travelers to discover places worth knowing.”
Dream Big in Small Town NC, created by the General Assembly as the Rural Tourism Recovery Pilot Program, targets 16 counties at risk for population loss as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The initiative began with a focus on five scenic mountain counties and now continues in Edgecombe, Halifax, Vance, and Warren counties, whose bodies of water include Kerr Lake, Lake Gaston, the Tar River, and the Roanoke River.
The final phase, beginning in June, will zero in on seven inner banks counties.
Easily reached from exits along interstates 85 and 95, the northeast lakes and rivers destinations combine distinctive culture with landmark history plus natural beauty and recreation,” Medlin said.
The sweepstakes offer entrants the chance to win the following:
A $1,000 voucher from program partner Airbnb.
Three $100 gift cards for a choice of restaurants, shops, and activities, including Gear and Beer, On the Square, Seven Springs Farm and Vineyard, and Weldon Mills Distillery.
A $500 gift card from Visit NC to assist with travel expenses.
For outdoor lovers, the rivers and lakes create ample reason to explore, Tuttell said.
In Henderson, Kerr Lake and its 850 miles of shoreline have a dozen local access points, including eight in a state recreation area known for hiking and birding as well as water activities. At Lake Gaston, between Warrenton and Roanoke Rapids, adventure seekers can sign up for lessons from international wakeboarding champion Adam Fields’ AF Wake.
Tarboro visitors can access the scenic Tar River Paddle Trail, and distance paddlers can embark on the Roanoke River State Trail from Weldon.
Medlin said stunning views of history and nature reward hikers and bikers at Medoc Mountain State Park and on the Roanoke Canal Museum & Trail, which makes loaner bikes available.
“There’s joy in these outdoor activities plus a sense of wonder from the historic moments since the time of the Tuscarora,” Tuttell said. “In Halifax, North Carolina became the first colony to call for independence from Britain. Weldon was home to the world’s longest railroad, which played an outsize role in Civil War history. The Roanoke Canal Trail includes stops on the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom. Princeville became one of the first towns in the country chartered by Black residents, and Warren County is recognized as the ‘birthplace of environmental justice’ based on a 1982 protest.
“If economic growth has favored urban areas in recent decades, the lakes and rivers towns have been fortified by a deep-rooted community spirit and sense of possibility. Ambitious locals who left have returned with big ideas for revitalizing and reinventing the places where they grew up.”
Homecoming enterprises include Tarboro’s On the Square restaurant and Tarboro Brewing, Halifax’s Hen & the Hog and Halifax Studios, Littleton’s Blue Jay Bistro, Main Street Wines, and Daphne’s Coffee Shop and the revitalized Lakeland Cultural Arts Center.
Near Norlina, Seven Springs Farm and Vineyard opened in 2020 to become a spot for music events and wine tastings.
“Big dreams have the power to capture the potential of special places and add new dimensions to their stories,” said Medlin. “We have seen this with newcomers and homegrown champions alike. They draw inspiration from the past and add their vision for the future to create a rare dynamic that benefits travelers as well as the community.”
Medlin cites a pair of entrepreneurs who were inspired to turn a former sleepwear factory in Weldon into a distillery.
Almost immediately after opening in 2019, Weldon Mills Distillery gained national attention with its award-winning bourbons and other spirits.
The founders of Sylvan Heights Bird Park in Scotland Neck arrived by way of Great Britain.
And in nearby Vance County, downtown Henderson attracted an achiever who opened The Eleanor on Belle hotel and a shop called Gear and Beer.
