Tourism officials upbeat about upcoming season

By Connie Cartmell, ccartmell@mariettatimes.com
Spirits were high and so was foot traffic Thursday at the Fenton Art Glass gift shop in Williamstown.

Three tour buses had stopped to deliver tourists for shopping and glass plant tours. It’s the kind of day that makes Fenton folks smile.

“We still get people in here every day,” said Kerri Griffith, marketing manager of the Fenton Gift Shop. “Obviously we want to get the word out to everyone that we have a number of great events planned this summer.”

Fenton has already received inquiries about summer activities, and area tourism officials have also been busy fielding Fenton calls.

“We just had a call Wednesday from an antique automobile club planning a trip to Marietta this summer, and they asked about Fenton and if we could arrange tours and shopping,” said Kelly Blazosky, executive director of the Marietta/Washington County Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Blazosky is optimistic—not only about Fenton’s summer schedule—but about tourism events in general in Marietta, Washington County and the region.

“The calendar is packed this year,” Blazosky said. “Our inquiries are picking up pace, and we haven’t seen a decline in inquires.”

May is National Tourism Month, she said.

A local kickoff is this weekend with two events—the downtown Marietta Garden Party Friday and Saturday and Herb Day at The Castle on Saturday.

“It’s a nice way to launch the season,” Blazosky said. “Herb Day has turned into a big event, drawing people from all over Ohio and the region.”

Soaring gasoline prices are not likely to cut into the local tourism market—at least not significantly, she said.

“It’s always hard to judge, but we are in a good location—not that far away from anything—and are a good value for a getaway,” Blazosky said.

In Marietta and Washington County, people coming from cities in northern Ohio often “feel like they’ve gone farther when they come here,” she said.

Marietta is only a two-hour drive from most major cities in Ohio, West Virginia, and even Pennsylvania.

“With all the quality events planned, this will be a wonderful summer for visitors and residents too,” Blazosky said.

In addition to traditional summertime events, such as the Red White & Blues Festival, Mayor’s Third Friday Jubilee, Merchants and Artists Walks, Marietta Riverfront Roar, Ohio River Sternwheel Festival, Band Organ Rally and Marietta Wing Thing, a Sweet Corn Festival is planned July 18-19 at the armory downtown. The Delta Queen is scheduled to make nine more stops in Marietta this year, which could be its final visits to the area.

“Another new event for us is the 2008 Catfish Derby Days in Muskingum Park,” Blazosky said.

After announcing plans last year that the company would close by the end of 2007, Fenton remains open for the forseeable future and will be back on QVC July 4, plans an artisan weekend Aug. 1-3, with all facets of glass making featured, and will have a warehouse sale July 4 to 20.

The summer tourism season at Fenton kicks off Memorial Day weekend with glass signing events Friday and Monday and a Fenton auction Sunday.

“We also plan a master craftsman event, free but by reservation, (May 24),” Griffith said.