On April 28, Wilkes EDC joined the Wilkes Outdoor Economy Workgroup to host a Creating Outdoor Recreation Economies (CORE) program site visit in Wilkes County. The site visit was designed to allow CORE participants to visit outdoor recreation communities across the state, meet with local leaders and businesses, and learn best practices related to the outdoor economy. Representatives from the NC Department of Commerce’s Outdoor Economy Office, the Appalachian Regional Commission, and communities across western North Carolina participated in the visit.
The effort was coordinated by Amy Allison, Director of the NC Outdoor Economy Office, who worked closely with organizations and local stakeholders throughout the planning process. Wilkes EDC coordinated locally alongside members of the Outdoor Economy Workgroup, including The Health Foundation, Town of Wilkesboro, Town of North Wilkesboro.
The Wilkes County portion of the visit showcased the county’s growing outdoor economy and the work being done to strengthen trails, tourism, and downtown connectivity. Presentations and tours focused on the intersection of trails, community health, tourism, and revitalization efforts. Participants visited the Health Foundation, Cub Creek Park and the Wilkesboro Trail System to learn about trail-to-town connectivity and the economic impact of recreation amenities and events.
The visit concluded at Hidden Brook Sporting Club, where the Wilkes EDC team shared how the Wilkes Outdoor Action Plan, a local collaborative effort where the EDC invests and participates, helped identify opportunities for outdoor recreation development in Wilkes County. This included advocating for portions of the North Wilkesboro Industrial Park property to be included in the plan. That property later became the location of Hidden Brook Sporting Club where Wilkes EDC introduced and facilitated the project with Kelly and Tracey Dickson, the Town of North Wilkesboro and Wilkes County. Additionally, the EDC supported Hidden Brook through an Entrepreneur Grant that the EDC funds.
Hidden Brook owners, Kelly and Tracey Dickson, spoke with the group about their experience of being welcomed into Wilkes County as an outdoor business and the ease of working with the EDC and Town of North Wilkesboro to secure the property. The importance of Wilkes planning in advance along with the support they have received from the beginning has made Hidden Brook feel like a natural fit for the community. Tracey Dickson highlighted the visitor experience at the facility before participants concluded the visit with a tour of the property and amenities.
Hidden Brook Sporting Club has just celebrated their first anniversary. Statistics from the first year are: