Celebrate summer and our local economy
Summer is not the only season we welcomed recently. We also kicked Washington County’s summer tourism season into high gear with two important events that added to our county’s already impressive list of visitor attractions.
These tourism assets – one new and one foundational – will enhance our visitors’ experience and increase the substantial impact tourism has on our local economy.
Our latest tourism addition was the inaugural Rockin’ on the Mon RiverFest, a two-day, family-friendly music festival at the Noble J. Dick Monongahela Aquatorium. Aquatorium Innovations and the Washington County Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Promotion Agency partnered to host seven musical acts playing over the course of the event. The festival featured food trucks, yard games, and beverage tents for attendees to enjoy. Boaters were encouraged to dock near the stage, and attendees brought their own chairs or sat on the bleachers of the Aquatorium, which accommodates up to 3,700 guests. The Aquatorium and the Monongahela River are places worth sharing with visitors, and the new festival was just one of the many exciting ways to position our county as a premier destination for a thriving music scene and attracting music fans from all over.
Washington County also welcomed new supporters to one of our foundational tourism events. The PONY League World Series announced that Printscape, a locally owned graphics and imaging company, will serve as the new title sponsor. The series also announced that CNX Foundation will be underwriting their volunteer program. Each year, the PONY League World Series attracts 30,000 people and contributes $5.8 million to our local economy. Through its broadcasts, social media presence, and media coverage, the series also serves as a marketing device to showcase Washington County to both domestic and international audiences for potential residential attraction and business investment. The Printscape PONY League World Series truly brings the world to our county.
Washington County’s tourism industry continues to be strong, with a direct economic impact of about $665 million and supporting 5,359 workers in our county. These impressive statistics allow Washington County to rank second after Allegheny County in traveler spending, tourism employment, and overall travel impacts among counties in the Greater Pittsburgh Region – a goal the Washington County Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Promotion Agency continues to target as a growth indicator. Unlike Allegheny County, we do not have professional sports teams or science centers to drive tourism. What we do have is dedicated volunteers for such events as the National Road Festival, the Whiskey Rebellion Festival, and Canonsburg Oktoberfest; municipal leaders creating vibrant recreational spaces in their townships and boroughs; premier offerings such as the Hollywood Casino at the Meadows, Tanger Outlets, the Washington Wild Things, and the Pavilion at Star Lake; and unique attractions like the Meadowcroft Rockshelter and Historic Village, the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum, Liberty Pole Spirits, the Lemoyne House and, of course, our agricultural fairs and farmers’ markets.
As our county tourism slogan states, the American spirit lives here, and we encourage you to find it this summer in Washington County.
Jeff Kotula is the president of the Washington County Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Promotion Agency.