This column is the seventh in a series devoted to promoting cultural tourism in coastal Georgia. It was published in the Tribune & Georgian newspaper in Kingsland, GA, appearing on Wednesday (October 5, 2005).
During the past six weeks, our goal has been to explore how more and more locales are combining their historical legacy and memorable heritage into an informative and entertaining experience that community and tourist audiences want to share. When you look around the country at places where this is happening, there are common elements that seem to be at play.
First, persons that are aware of the importance of historical preservation, and how it can be done to maximize its impact, get involved and support this type of effort. In Camden County, these persons have been local historians, community leaders, and arts partisans that see a theatrical event like Crooked Rivers’ Sisters Three as a way to clarify and amplify historical intrigue, fact, and lore, while providing the basis for an entertaining event that gathers audiences and gains a reputation as a significant and worthwhile addition to the other attractions that bring visitors to coastal Georgia.
Second, persons that desire to see cultural tourism events come to fruition find ways to incorporate the event(s) into community infrastructure and tradition. In Camden County, the city of Woodbine, under the leadership of Mayor Buford Clark and City Manager Sandy Rayson, has defined a clear path that makes Crooked Rivers’ Sisters Three a part of its redevelopment plans. Their willingness to have the fledgling Crooked Rivers project perform segments of the show at their renowned Crawfish Festival in 2003 and 2004 was a significant beginning. Imagine how wonderful it will be in a few years to be able to stroll that balmy riverfront walkway in an early spring evening and then rise to the garden walk that wends its way into downtown Woodbine, arriving at a quaint and appealing theatre located right on the main thoroughfare in town, where county residents present you with a feast of music, humor, history and storytelling that leaves you wanting to know more, and ready to share it with others. Maybe you will even drop a bill or two into their coffers when you leave, in appreciation for what Crooked Rivers’ Sisters Three gave you and for what it offers to residents and visitors.
Third, the creation process for cultural tourism events is difficult, and takes time, money and more work than one can describe. Until there is a product, only visionaries and dreamers invest. That time is almost up for Crooked River’s Sisters Three. In the next few weeks, you will be hearing lots of information about Crooked Rivers’ Sisters Three “gatherings” in your community. These will be calls for interested members to come and hear about the ideas of the visionaries and the dreamers. They will be offering you a chance to bring your kids, your significant other(s) and your parents and climb aboard the Crooked Rivers bandwagon as actors, singers, storytellers, stagehands, performance workers, or for other important purposes.
In the next several months, you will begin to see folks and signs around that will ask for your financial assistance and support to make this project a reality. They won’t ask for much, but they will ask. You should say yes and do what you can. Because this effort deserves our grassroots local support, if for no other reason than it will help us become stronger and healthier as a community, not to mention the possible economic gains it can bring for us all. Pick either reason, or both – they are good enough reasons to say yes.
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