Reinstituting a practice that had been stopped a few years ago, the Clearfield County Recreation and Tourism Authority, more commonly known as Visit Clearfield County, announced on April 30 the Annual Partner Award Winners Program and named the Weather Discovery Center as its “Out of County Partner” for 2019. The center is located in Jefferson County, which borders Clearfield County.
In a press release, Visit Clearfield Executive Director Josiah Jones stated, “We really wanted to do something special for our partners this year.” The Annual Partner Awards are being announced in conjunction with the start of National Travel and Tourism Week (NTTW) that runs May 3-9. NTTW was created by Congress in 1983 to underscore the economic power of travel in the U.S.
“Since in-person rallies and events that have been hallmarks of NTTW in years past are not an option this year, Visit Clearfield County is engaging by announcing our new Annual Partner Award Winners Program,” said Jones. “We used to offer a partner awards banquet and offer annual awards in the past. This is something that we have gotten away from and we felt like this was the year to bring something back. We have created 13 award categories, highlighting some great attractions and businesses throughout Clearfield County.”
The Punxsutawney Weather Discovery Center is joined by the following Clearfield County tourist entities in being named award winners for 2019:
2019 Restaurant of the Year – DuBois Diner
2019 Downtown of the Year – Coalport Streetscapes
2019 Attraction of the Year – The Doolittle Station
2019 Sports Bar of the Year – Legends Sports Bar & Grill
2019 Bed & Breakfast of the Year – The Victorian Loft B&B
2019 Campground of the Year – Lumber City RV
2019 DuBois Hotel of the Year – Comfort Suites
2019 Clearfield Hotel of the Year – Best Western Plus
2019 Winery of the Year – Bee Kind Winery
2019 Event of the Year – USCAA Small College World Series
2019 Historical Society of the Year – Curwensville-Pike Township Historical Society, Inc.
“We’re very honored to receive this award,” says Weather Discovery Center Executive Director Marlene Lellock. “At this time, calling attention to tourism entities is extremely valuable as we are on hold waiting for the return of travel and tourism. We are happy to partner with Visit Clearfield County because tourism is regional and we encourage our visitors to travel the region.”
U.S. Travel Association President and CEO, Roger Dow said recently, “Through every hardship, I find myself in awe of the travel industry’s ability to join together, adapt, and emerge stronger than before. This is our toughest challenge yet, but what I’ve seen is that the spirit of travel has not been shattered.”
The Weather Discovery Center is currently closed as per the Governor’s orders, but is anticipating being allowed to open soon.