The work of a team of local home decor and design experts as well as local Stafford business The Icing Baking Company was spotlighted on an episode of HGTV’s “House Hunters: Home for the Holidays” that aired last Tuesday and Wednesday. The featured home is in Stafford County and belongs to a Navy serviceman, Chris, his wife, Ashley, and their family. Read more >>

The post Stafford home featured on HGTV’s House Hunters holiday edition appeared first on Go Stafford Virginia.

Governor Ralph Northam today announced that Virginia’s tourism industry generated $26 billion in visitor spending across all communities in 2018, a 4.4 percent increase over 2017.

In 2018, tourism in Virginia supported 234,000 jobs for Virginia communities, a 1% increase from 2017. The tourism industry also provided $1.8 billion in state and local revenue, an increase of 2.9% compared to 2017. MORE>>

The post Governor Northam says tourism revenues reach $26 billion in Virginia in 2018 appeared first on Go Stafford Virginia.

The post Stafford lands bass tournament, mentions on TV show appeared first on Go Stafford Virginia.

The work of a team of local home decor and design experts as well as local Stafford business The Icing Baking Company was spotlighted on an episode of HGTV’s “House Hunters: Home for the Holidays” that aired last Tuesday and Wednesday. The featured home is in Stafford County and belongs to a Navy serviceman, Chris, his wife, Ashley, and their family. Read more >>

The post Stafford home featured on HGTV’s House Hunters holiday edition appeared first on Go Stafford Virginia.

This past month, a number of artists, business, economic development, and tourism leaders met with 50 artists from around the Fredericksburg region to identify opportunities to expand and build a regional arts economy. Hosted by Stafford County, the Clark Hulings Fund brought together its experience and expertise for a three-day program designed to foster an art economy and encourage artists as business entrepreneurs. The City of Fredericksburg, Spotsylvania County and The University of Mary Washington were also sponsors of the event.

The Thriving Arts Exchange, held at Gari Melcher’s Home and Studio at Belmont, focused on crafting a regional arts economy. The program, facilitated by Shem Cohen, allowed participants to share their vision, identify opportunities, and discover impediments to reaching that vision. MORE>>

The post Clark Hulings Fund’s Virginia Art-Business Conference Hosted in Stafford County appeared first on Go Stafford Virginia.

This past month, a number of artists, business, economic development, and tourism leaders met with 50 artists from around the Fredericksburg region to identify opportunities to expand and build a regional arts economy. Hosted by Stafford County, the Clark Hulings Fund brought together its experience and expertise for a three-day program designed to foster an art economy and encourage artists as business entrepreneurs. The City of Fredericksburg, Spotsylvania County and The University of Mary Washington were also sponsors of the event.

The Thriving Arts Exchange, held at Gari Melcher’s Home and Studio at Belmont, focused on crafting a regional arts economy. The program, facilitated by Shem Cohen, allowed participants to share their vision, identify opportunities, and discover impediments to reaching that vision. MORE>>

The post Clark Hulings Fund’s Virginia Art-Business Conference Hosted in Stafford County appeared first on Go Stafford Virginia.

Media Release: Saturday, January 30, 2021

Stafford, Virginia unveils five new LOVEworks signs and B101.5 will celebrate with “Share the Love” Valentine’s Day Contest!

Visitors encouraged to take pictures and share on social media with #TourStaffordVA and #LOVEVA

[Stafford, VA] – Stafford, Virginia is unveiling five life-sized LOVE artworks, now on display at all of our Stafford breweries and winery: 6 Bears and a Goat Brewing Company, Adventure Brewing Company, Barley Naked Brewing Company, Highmark Brewery, and Potomac Point Winery.

To celebrate Stafford’s five new LOVEworks signs, Stafford’s local radio station B101.5, and all of our breweries and winery are sharing the love just in time for a Valentine’s Day Instagram Contest. B101.5, Stafford Tourism, and Stafford breweries and winery want YOU to show Stafford some LOVE!

Between February 1 and February 10, take a photo in front of the LOVE sign at 6 Bears and a Goat Brewing Company, Adventure Brewing Company, Barley Naked Brewing Company, Highmark Brewery, and Potomac Point Winery. Post your picture to Instagram and be sure to tag @TourStaffordVA and hashtag #TourStaffordVA and #LOVEVA. Five lucky winners will get a gift basket filled with winery and brewery gift cards and swag provided by B101.5! For details, go to B101.5, Keyword: LOVE.

Created as part of a state and local partnership to promote travel and tourism, the artwork is an extension of the 50-year-old “Virginia is for Lovers” brand, one of the most beloved and iconic slogans in the world.

There are more than 250 giant LOVE signs displayed across communities in Virginia. Stafford is thrilled to add its five LOVE signs to the trail and attract visitors to the community.

“Virginia is for Lovers is about doing the things you love to do on vacation with the people you love most,” said Rita McClenny, president and CEO of the Virginia Tourism Corporation. “The new LOVEworks in Stafford County capture that idea perfectly, and gives you an authentic sense of place as it showcases Stafford’s rich and growing beer and wine culture. We are excited that Stafford County along with its breweries and winery will help us share the LOVE with travelers, helping them to discover for themselves why Virginia is for Lovers.”

Each LOVE installation is a reflection of the community in which it stands, and Stafford’s five LOVEworks locations are no exception.

“I am excited to showcase five new LOVEworks signs in the Stafford community,” stated Lisa Logan, Stafford County Tourism Manager. “The Virginia LOVEworks signs are recognized by visitors all over the country and we are eager to join the trail!”

These LOVEworks signs are a great edition to Stafford Tourism’s new Kegs and Corks Savings Pass Trail, a mobile exclusive pass to redeem offers at Stafford’s four breweries and one winery.

A full list and map of statewide LOVEworks can be found at Virginia.org/LOVE.

According to the State of Virginia Tourism, Tourism is an instant revenue generator for Virginia. In 2019, tourism generated $27 billion in revenue, supported 237,000 jobs and provided $1.8 billion in state and local revenue for the Commonwealth.

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Note to media: Images of LOVEworks from around the Commonwealth can be requested at pressroom.virginia.org, the official pressroom of the Virginia Tourism Corporation.

6 Bears & a Goat Brewing Company                             Adventure Brewing Company

Barley Naked Brewing Company                                                                Highmark Brewery

Potomac Point Winery and Vineyards

The post Stafford, Virginia unveils five new LOVEworks signs and B101.5 will celebrate with “Share the Love” Valentine’s Day Contest! appeared first on Go Stafford Virginia.

Stafford County was excited to host the 2021 Disc Golf Stafford Invitational this past weekend on February 6th and 7th. This two-day tournament put on by the Stafford Disc Golf Club brought 161 players with 70 percent traveling from outside of the Stafford region, including Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Washington D.C., and one player from Japan.

The tournament was hosted at Stafford’s Curtis Park Disc Golf Course and, for the first time ever, the Gauntlet Golf Club. The Gauntlet Golf Club created a hybrid pop-up course in support of the tournament and created a new partnership with the Stafford Disc Golf Club.

“My team and I believe strongly that our place in this community is to give the residents of Stafford County and its guests a reason to go outside and safely recreate,” stated Mike Byrd, New Direction Golf Management President for The Gauntlet Golf Club. “Sometimes it requires outside the box thinking; disc golf is different for us, but we love it!”

The Stafford Disc Golf Club was established in 2020 and is a Professional Disc Golf Association (PDGA) affiliate club. There are currently 98 members who play at courses across the Stafford Region. As a new sport’s organization in Stafford, their initiatives include bringing new tournaments to the community, maintaining and upkeep of current courses, and to increase membership. For more information and how to get involved in the Stafford Disc Golf Club, visit their club Facebook page here.

“Disc Golf is currently going through a period of unforeseen growth, and America is taking notice,” stated Stephen Miller, President of the Stafford Disc Golf Club. “We hope to bring new opportunities like this in the future.”

For those not familiar with the sport, disc golf is played much like traditional golf. Instead of a ball and clubs, players use flying discs that are similar to frisbees. Instead of hitting a ball into a hole, a disc is thrown into a specifically-designed basket. The object of the game is to complete the course in the fewest number of throws. The rules are similar to golf and typical courses are nine or eighteen holes.

Disc Golf has gained recreational popularity during the Coronavirus Pandemic as you can be outdoors and socially distance, yet find a great way to get out and exercise. Stafford has two-disc golf courses: Curtis Park and John Lee Pratt Park.

“We were excited to see the partnership between the Gauntlet Golf Club and the Stafford Disc Golf Club bring new people to our community and see all the great things that Stafford has to offer,” stated Lisa Logan, Tourism Program Manager for Stafford County. “This is a great addition to our expanding Sports Tourism portfolio. Sports Tourism is a primary initiative for Stafford as we have seen tremendous growth since 2016.”

The post Stafford County Welcomed New 2021 Disc Golf Stafford Invitational appeared first on Go Stafford Virginia.

STAFFORD, VIRGINIA – The Stafford County Department of Economic Development and Tourism has released a new version of www.TourStaffordVA.com, the county’s tourism website. The redesigned site has a renewed focus on bringing visitors to the county for both overnight and day trips.

“We think a lot of people are aware of Stafford, given our central location along the I-95 corridor,” said John Holden, Director for the Department of Economic Development and Tourism. “But we wanted to share a deeper awareness of all of the attractions and great things to see and do around the county.”

The new site features a prominent tool for visitors to book stays in the county’s hotels, as well as a detailed itinerary section that helps people plan their visit to the Stafford area. Additionally, the site has listings of the county’s tourism assets, including historical sites, outdoor destinations, restaurants and breweries and wineries.

“The new site really showcases all that Stafford County has to offer,” Holden said.

The site also has special sections for people planning events in the county, including sports tournaments, reunions, group meetings and weddings. Those sections provide links to meeting spaces and other resources that are key for planners.

An upgraded event calendar also features where county businesses can post their tourism-oriented events, and a Stafford Savings Pass where visitors can save on food and other county experiences.

“The new website offers critical changes and improvements for responsiveness, new content and messaging, and utilizes the latest design trends to further communicate why Stafford County is an ideal place to visit,” stated Courtney Swenson, Marketing Manager for the department. “This redesign is just the start for the site,” Swenson said. “We have other tools in the development pipeline that will make it easier for people to discover Stafford.”

The new site is available at www.TourStaffordVA.com.

The post Stafford’s Tourism Department Successfully Launches New Website appeared first on Go Stafford Virginia.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MEDIA CONTACT:
Linzy Browne
https://www.gostaffordva.com/contact/

FREDERICKSBURG, VIRGINIA – (October 17, 2023) – The Gauntlet Golf Club in Fredericksburg, Virginia, hosted the highly-anticipated AJGA Golf Tournament on Sunday, June 25th. The event, sponsored by the Stafford VA Economic Development Authority and Tour Stafford VA, featured Junior-Am Golfers from across the US and 7 countries. This year’s tournament was a resounding success, uniting the community for a charitable cause and creating a positive economic impact in the Stafford region.

The AJGA Golf Tournament is an annual event that not only promotes the sport of golf but also extends a helping hand to local charities. This year, the benefiting charities included Special Olympics Virginia – Area 11 and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Fredericksburg. The event proved to be a powerful fundraising platform, raising over $24,950 for these deserving organizations.

Tourism Director Lisa Logan expressed her enthusiasm for the event, saying, “We were delighted to see such a great turnout at the AJGA Golf Tournament. It’s heartwarming to witness our community come together to raise money for charities that are important to the region. The tournament not only showcases our beautiful county, but also boosts our local economy.”

The economic impact of the AJGA Golf Tournament on Stafford County is significant. Local businesses, hotels, restaurants, and shops benefited from the influx of 96 participants, their families, and volunteers totaling over 271 new visitors with an estimated $194,000 economic impact. This event showcases the beautiful Gauntlet Golf Club and the Stafford region, further bolstering its reputation as a premier tourism destination. Beyond the local businesses, the tournament also provided volunteer opportunities and contributed to the tourism sector.

Howard Owen, EDA Chairman, highlighted the economic impact of the tournament, stating, “The AJGA Golf Tournament brings more than just golf enthusiasts to our region; it brings economic growth and prosperity. We are proud to support an event that contributes to the growth of Stafford County while making a positive impact on our local charities.”

Checks totaling $24,950 were presented to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Fredericksburg and Special Olympics Virginia – Area 11 on Tuesday, October 17,  at the Stafford County Board of Supervisors meeting. Both organizations will be receiving $12,475 each, a true testament to the generosity and community spirit that this tournament fosters.

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About Tour Stafford, Virginia:

Tour Stafford, Virginia is Stafford County, Virginia’s official destination marketing organization (DMO). As the official destination marketing organization of Stafford County, our mission is to promote, solicit and encourage tourism and business travel through marketing and media services that enhance economic activity and quality of life within the Stafford region. For more information on Tour Stafford, Virginia visit www.TourStaffordVA.com and follow us on social media: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

About Stafford Economic Development Authority (EDA):

The Stafford Economic Development Authority (EDA), is an appointed board of 7 members, who support the Stafford County Department of Economic Development providing additional business resources to encourage healthy economic growth and business retention in Stafford. The EDA offers business loan programs, develops vacant and underused properties in Stafford, and supports programs within the county and region that reflect positive economic opportunity and business needs. 

For more information on Stafford’s Economic Development and the Stafford EDA, visit www.GoStaffordVA.com and www.StaffordEDA.com, and follow on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, or get connected through the monthly business newsletter.

About American Junior Golf Association (AJGA):

The AJGA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that is dedicated to the overall growth and development of young men and women who aspire to earn college golf scholarships through competitive junior golf.

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