Robbinsville – Now that Trunk or Treat is in its rearview mirror, the Robbinsville Tourism Authority is looking ahead to upcoming events that will keep it busy through 2023.
The board spent much of its meeting on Oct. 24, tying up loose ends in preparation for the Trunk or Treat event, which took place the following week on Oct. 31, Halloween Day.
Going from ghouls and goblins to the Christmas season, the upcoming Christmas parade has been proclaimed “Memories of Christmas Past” – a nod to Graham County’s year-long sesquicentennial celebration.
The Christmas Extravaganza is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. – 4 p.m., with the lighted parade starting at 6 p.m. – all on Saturday, Dec. 10.
A community Christmas tree lighting may take place a week before, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 3.
Further details are being worked out, although the plan is to have live holiday music, hot cocoa and apple cider.
Other news and notes
* The town, with participation from Graham County and the N.C. Department of Transportation, is in the midst of co-naming East Main Street “Veterans Memorial Hill.” Town and county officials have signed off on the change, giving the state the go-ahead to make the change to the state-maintained street.
Because it is a co-naming and not a re-naming, addresses of properties on East Main Street will not change.
The hope was to have everything in place by Nov. 11 – Veterans Day – but there were too many moving parts. The name change transition will likely take place without fanfare, with a possible event to be held on March 29, 2023 – National Vietnam War Veterans Day.
* Board member Dirk Cody urged the board to start spending its money more freely, arguing that the purpose of collecting bed taxes from local lodging is to turn around and spend that money on promoting tourism; leaving it in the bank serves no purpose, he said.
Dovetailing, the board was a little looser with its purse strings later in the meeting, authorizing up to $1,000 to be spent on the Christmas events. The board is even floating the idea of holding a Fourth of July fireworks celebration in 2023.
“Let’s make a significant investment,” Cody said. “It would be good if it becomes a tradition.”
The board is also looking at developing a logo and its own branding.
“We need a logo, we really do,” Cody said.