Plus, the economic impact of ART CRUSH.
02.20.2024 6AM-Top banner logo-small.png

SUBSCRIBE | REFER
6AM City In-house

Today’s Forecast

54º | 54% chance of precipitation
Sunrise 7:03 a.m. | Sunset 6:06 p.m.
 

Making visitors feel at home

5 things you probably don’t know about Visit Winston-Salem
WStoday_Visit Winston-Salem
The Visitor Center is located at 200 Brookstown Ave. | Photo courtesy of Visit Winston-Salem
Visit Winston-Salem is responsible for telling visitors what we already know — the Twin City is the place to be. Conventions, events, and sports tournaments attract about 200,000 visitors to Forsyth County annually. They spend nearly a billion dollars at local businesses, supporting 6,200 jobs and generating $68 million in state and local taxes.

City Editor Cambridge sat down with Visit Winston-Salem’s President Stephanie Pace Brown to talk about the tourism bureau’s mission. Here five things you might not know about the agency’s work.

Visit Winston-Salem promotes all of Forsyth County

Don’t let the name fool you, Visit Winston-Salem works on behalf of the whole county. Brown says it comes down to branding — including the city’s name makes it easier for visitors to distinguish between our area and other Forsyth Counties nationwide.

Visitors fund Visit Winston-Salem’s work

People who stay overnight in the Twin City pay a hotel tax + a room occupancy tax. About 61% of that revenue is dedicated to funding Visit Winston-Salem’s operations (the rest is distributed to municipal government).

Visit Winston-Salem exists to help local businesses + residents

The tourism bureau is focused on attracting overnight visitors to Forsyth County. That expands the customer base for local businesses and generates taxes to provide services for residents. Nonprofit and governmental events can apply for direct funding support through the Arts and Events Marketing Assistance (AEMA) Program.

Three people in aprons stand in front of a wall with a "Hot now Winston-Salem" neon sign. The middle person is holding a box of Krispy Kreme doughnuts.

Visit Winston-Salem team members represent everything sweet about Forsyth County.

|

Photo courtesy of Visit Winston-Salem

“Visit Winston-Salem’s public purpose is to benefit the people who live here,” Brown said. “Our purpose is not to benefit the people who visit — we serve them and our job is to attract them to our city — but the beneficiaries of our work are the local community members.”
2 more hidden gems
 
Events
Tuesday, Feb. 20
  • Maria Serkin and Brent Harvey in Recital | Tuesday, Feb. 20 | 7:30-9:30 p.m. | Watson Hall, UNC School of the Arts, 1533 S. Main St., Winston-Salem | $15-$20 | The UNCSA faculty artists will present a program of solo and chamber works for horn, tuba, and piano.
  • WS/FCS Transportation Hiring Event | Tuesday, Feb. 20 | 10 a.m.-12 p.m. | 3810 N. Liberty St., Winston-Salem | Free, RSVP | Talk with school officials about benefits for mechanics and school bus drivers and get an on-the-spot interview.
Wednesday, Feb. 21
  • Black History Month Keynote Address | Wednesday, Feb. 21 | 11 a.m. | Mazie S. Woodruff Aviation Center, 2739 Aviation Dr., Winston-Salem | Free | Judge Ashleigh Parker of the NC 10th Judicial District will deliver remarks on Black history to conclude Forsyth Tech’s month-long celebration.
  • From the Page Author Showcase: M is for Murder | Wednesday, Feb. 21 | 7-8 p.m. | Bookmarks, 634 W. 4th St., Ste. 110 , Winston-Salem | Free | Authors Mark deCastrique, Matt Fiander, and Michelle Corbier will discuss their craft and read passages from their works.
  • Leaders and Lunch: Trends of Belonging in 2024 | Wednesday, Feb. 21 | 12-1 p.m. | Leadership Winston-Salem, 624 W. 6th St., Winston-Salem | Free, RSVP | Author Dr. William T. Lewis will explain ways leaders can build a work culture of belonging.
Thursday, Feb. 22
  • HOPera: Beer and Opera Collide | Thursday, Feb. 22 | 7-8:30 p.m. | Quanto Basta, 680 W. 4th St., Winston-Salem | Free | Enjoy dinner or light fare served for free while opera singers David Maize and Polina Khatsko perform 20-minute sets.
  • Successful Greenhouse Gardening | Thursday, Feb. 22 | 4-5 p.m. | Miracle Grounds Farm at Crossnore Communities for Children, 1001 Reynolda Rd., Winston-Salem | Free, RSVP | Learn how to successfully grow plants or build a small scale greenhouse in your backyard.
Events calendar here
Click here to have your event featured.
Sports

Grab tickets for The Dash’s 2024 season
a GIF comprised of images of baseball players and spectators at a game
From the front row behind home plate up to the Flow Club with an all-you-can-eat buffet, there’s an option for everyone to enjoy Dash baseball all summer long. | Photos provided by Winston-Salem Dash; GiF created by WStoday
Swing batter batter, swing. The Dash’s Opening Day is right around the corner (happening Tuesday, April 9 at 7 p.m.) Fans have multiple ways to enjoy the season:
Purchase tickets online or call (336) 714-2287.
Explore all ticket offerings
News Notes
Sports
  • Winston-Salem State University is celebrating the men’s basketball team after their win at the NBA HBCU Classic in Indianapolis. The team beat Virginia Union 64-47 in the third annual match-up and is the first team from the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) to win it.
Opening
  • The Boho Depot will host its grand re-opening on Saturday, March 2. The storefront is relocating from 1214 Reynolda Rd. to 451 W. End Blvd.
State
  • The line is a little blurry when it comes to where Forsyth County ends and Guilford County begins. Officials in both counties have requested the NC Geodetic Survey Division conduct a survey to determine the exact boundary so governments can decide who pays which property tax along the border. (WFDD)
Arts
  • Submit your works of art capturing nature to Associated Artists of Winston-Salem’s “Birds, Bugs, and Other Critters” exhibition. The deadline to enter is Thursday, Feb. 29 — the exhibit at Milton Rhodes Center for the Arts will open to the public on Wednesday, March 6.
Community
Cause
  • Shop for a good cause at the inaugural Wine, Women and Shoes on Monday, May 9 at Legacy Stables and Events. Tickets start at $125 and can be purchased online — proceeds will benefit Ronald McDonald House Charities Piedmont Triad.
Arts
  • ICYMI, the historic estate of Katharine Smith and R.J. Reynolds has reopened. Head to Reynolda to explore an extraordinary collection of world-renowned American art spanning 250 years, rotating exhibitions, and hands-on activities. Get the details.*
Edu
  • You better believe WS bounces back. Researchers from Harvard and Stanford Universities recently released a national dataset that named the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools among the best + fastest-recovering districts post-pandemic since 2020. See more takeaways from the comprehensive report.*
 
Number

Crushing expectations

ART CRUSH street festival had economic impact of more than $17,000 in 2023
A person in a red tie-dye jumpsuit is standing at a table facing a person behind the table who is handing something to them. The table is filled with abstract art canvases of different sizes on stands for sale.
Visual artists are provided a free table and don’t have to pay a booth fee to participate in ART CRUSH. | Photo by @hiaj via @artsdistrictwsnc
We think it’s pretty safe to say the inaugural year of ART CRUSH crushed it. The Arts District of Winston-Salem, the organization that puts on the event, released its 2023 annual report. The street festival had an economic impact of more than $17,000. Here are other highlights:
  • 17,289 attendees were present at eight events (October’s event was rained out)
  • 193 visual artists set up booths to sell their works
  • 161 BIPOC artists participated
  • 65 performing artists showcased their skills
Every artist keeps 100% of the sales they make during ART CRUSH. The event is a sponsored project of the Arts Council of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County + is supported with American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding.

ART CRUSH is held the third Friday of every month April through December on Trade and 6th streets. Make plans to attend the first event of 2024 on Friday, April 19 from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Share WStoday
 
ReferralGIF1-WS.gif

Share the good news. Get rewarded.

Have someone who needs to stay in the know? Get amazing rewards for every new subscriber you bring by sharing your unique referral link (below).

{{profile.vars.rh_reflink_28}}
Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email

{{profile.vars.rh_totref_28}} friends are looped into all things local because of you.
See your reward status here
 
6AM City In-house
 
The Wrap
 
Cambridge Wrege.jpg

Today’s edition by:
Cambridge
From the editor
One thing Stephanie Pace Brown encouraged during our conversation was to be a “tourist in your hometown.” I love exploring our city and am grateful I get to share my adventures with you. If you know an event or hidden gem I should check out, I hope you’ll let me know.
Missed our previous newsletter?     ›
Send Us A Scoop, Question, or Feedback     ›
Subscribe     ›
Advertise     ›
 
 

Content marked with an * is paid advertising. Content marked with an ^ is created by our content studio. The company may also generate commission from affiliate links in the newsletter.

Change your preferences or unsubscribe here.

Copyright © 2023 6AM City Inc, All rights reserved.

P.O. Box 2505, Greenville, SC 29602

ADVERTISE | CAREERS | ETHICS | PRIVACY | THE BUY