October 2, 2018
By: Dwayne Page
Tourism is big business in DeKalb County and getting bigger.
Suzanne Williams, Director of the Smithville-DeKalb County Chamber of Commerce addressed the Smithville Mayor and Aldermen Monday night with some good economic news.
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In her report, Williams informed city leaders that Governor Bill Haslam and State Tourism Commissioner Kevin Triplett recently announced that DeKalb County’s tourism dollars increased by 6.7% from the previous year to $48.02 million, the third highest tourism dollars in the 14-county Upper Cumberland region.
Meanwhile, Williams said the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development has selected DeKalb County to be included in its “Best Practices” program.
DeKalb County and Saint Thomas DeKalb Hospital will be featured as a “Best Practices” in community partnerships and health initiatives for rural communities. This honor was given due to the success of the DeKalb County Health Adventure that was started by Saint Thomas DeKalb Community Benefit Dollars and continued with last year’s Three Star Grant written and submitted by the Chamber and the County Mayor’s Office.
Downtown is becoming a busier place with the addition of several new businesses including Old Timers’ Antique Mall, The Vintage Owl, The Market on Main, and D & D Fashions. Two of the downtown businesses have outgrown their present spaces and are moving to larger buildings on the square. Due to the most recent Community Development Block Grant awarded to the Chamber in the amount of $100,000, many façade improvements have been made to downtown building store fronts.
Williams further mentioned that the Chamber has been awarded a new Tennessee Department of Tourist Development Grant to be used for a Smithville Fiddlers’ Jamboree billboard on I-40 which will be exposed to as many as 42,000 vehicles per day.
The Fiddlers’ Jamboree & Crafts Festival is also being included in phase one of a new initiative by the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development called “The Tennessee Music Pathway”. The music trail will be a 1,200 mile loop running the length of the state with a focus on preserving and promoting the history locally and how it has impacted music around the world and on current music events. The LIVE venues where people can go and hear music will be an integral part of this initiative. Williams said being a part of this will provide a lot of free promotion for this area.
Leadership DeKalb is back again under new leadership, Darrell and Beth Gill are the new co-directors. The opening retreat was held September 17.