Motorcycle Tours, Restaurant Incubator Among Ideas For New Economic Opportunities In Southern West Virginia

So, fall is almost upon us and our IAS program is kicking into high gear!

Four communities have started working in sector teams to plan for growing their local economy. Projects are being discussed in McDowell, Wyoming, Lincoln and Boone counties. These teams have some pretty cool ideas that other communities in the state should know about!

In McDowell County, the Technology Team is working on a website for local residents and organizations to use to promote events, and to help small business owners promote themselves.

Their Arts and Culture Team is hoping to out together an Arts and Music Festival in the near future, and are working with the RiffRaff Collective for a Create Your State event in Welch on October 3.

The McDowell County Tourism and Recreation Team would like to boost motorcycle tourism in the area by creating a ride modeled off of the Back of the Dragon event, which takes place in Tazwell, Virginia.

And the Local Food and Agriculture Team is working to put together a Fall Festival featuring the produce of growers in McDowell County.

Over in Wyoming County, the Transportation Team is looking at some innovative rail-trail ideas, as well as Safe Routes to School, in order to promote better bike and pedestrian access in and to their towns.

Their Arts and Culture Team, whose first meeting featured a presentation from the Tammarck Foundation, is also planning an art show for the fall.

In Madison, the Boone County seat, we’ve heard ideas around a restaurant incubator downtown, a future arts festival, as well as creative fundraising events to support local artists and media producers.

We are excited to see what happens going forward. Our final IAS community to get started this year, Alderson, kicks off on September 12.

With so many great ideas and hard work going on around the state, what are you doing to lift up your community?