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EDA highlights fairgrounds push, guidebook distribution and farmers market outreach
Summary
Perry County EDA staff said the fairgrounds project and a proposed 501(c)(3) for the fair board could expand economic activity; staff also reported guidebook/map distribution to regional partners, a new farmers market, and ongoing social media promotion of local businesses.
Perry County Economic Development Authority members reviewed tourism and outreach work, including fairgrounds redevelopment, guidebook distribution and farmers markets.
Speaker 2 said the EDA will concentrate on a fairgrounds project this year and that the fair board is exploring creation of a 501(c)(3) to increase fundraising and capacity; staff noted volunteer limits on the existing fair board and suggested a 'friends of the fairgrounds' group to broaden participation.
The EDA's marketing lead (Speaker 6) said Discover Perry County guidebooks and Perry County maps were recently distributed to regional chambers, the visitor bureau and other outlets; Speaker 6 reported steady requests to restock materials and active social media posts highlighting local businesses and attractions. Speaker 7 recommended increased online promotion and repeated posts to sustain visibility.
Speakers celebrated a ribbon-cutting for the West Shore/West Perry farmers market at Lynn Shafer Dunn Memorial Park (market hours noted as Mondays, 3–7 p.m.) and discussed vendor coordination and potential expansion of farmers markets into additional boroughs to increase vendor opportunities across the county.
Speaker 4 noted that Visit Hershey Harrisburg has been designated by a previously passed resolution to perform certain tourism-promotion functions for the county, though the county currently does not provide funding to that organization. EDA members said they continue to explore a dedicated county tourism promotion agency in the future.
Meeting participants flagged other tourism ideas, including networked mountain-biking trails and repurposing closed traffic bridges as recreational corridors.
