“I just wished we had more time. There was so much to do and see,” said one of the “Real Rutland Weekend Getaway” (RRWG) families.
That was the “Real Rutland Weekend Getaway?”
The RRWG was a giveaway contest hosted by the Chamber & Economic Development of the Rutland Region (CEDRR), for the first time this year. Almost 450 families from across the country signed up for their chance to spend a long weekend, Thursday through Sunday, in Rutland County with planned and paid-for activities. The main aim was to introduce people contemplating moving to the area to locals and help them narrow down which town they see themselves fitting into. Households were required to connect with a CEDRR employee via zoom to explain why they are thinking about moving to Vermont and how this weekend getaway could help them make that final relocation decision. CEDRR randomly selected five households to host at the end of September. The households that accepted the offer for a county-wide experience came in from California, Texas, North Carolina, and New York City.
Thursday Night
The families were treated to a meet & greet dinner with s’mores outside upon their arrival on Thursday at Still on the Mountain – Killington Distillery in Killington and hotel reservations were made for them at the Killington Grand Resort Hotel. That evening they met with a local realtor and some members of our community to welcome them to the area.
Friday and Saturday
Friday morning two couples bundled up and went kayaking on the Chittenden Reservoir. Their trip began in the mist with 40-something-degree weather, but a rainbow peeked out behind the clouds, making this adventure rise to the top of one couple’s favorite activities.
What was another family’s favorite activity? “The scavenger hunt, it got us out of our hotel and all over the county.” All the households took part in a county-wide scavenger hunt, created by CEDRR. The focus of the hunt was for families to explore every town, familiarizing themselves with the area. We highlighted places like Benson Landing, access to Lake Champlain, the “Art & Soul of Vermont,” also known as Brandon’s Downtown, the Danby-Mt. Tabor Veterans Memorial, the waterfall at Thundering Brook Falls in Killington, the New England Maple Museum in Pittsford, Poultney’s Slate Valley Trails, the Clarendon Gorge Swinging Bridge in Shrewsbury, and The Carving Studio and Sculpture Center in West Rutland, just to name a few.
One household told us, “Being able to visit places around Rutland in person really puts a perspective on the opportunities, options, and all the small, charming towns Rutland County has to offer.” While they were here, this family even made an offer on a house in Pittsford!
The Sunday Takeaway
Overall, the families had a wonderful time hiking, riding the gondola to the top of Killington, learning how to indoor rock climb, and treating their taste buds at the Poultney Chili Cook-Off. One household told us, “We thoroughly enjoyed our trip and were impressed with how much there was to do and see. Everything was well planned, the people could not have been nicer, and we were able to really get a taste of Vermont life for a few days.”
This experience would not have been possible without the funding for the Real Rutland Marketing Initiative, provided by Rutland County residents, individual town budgets, and the business community. In 2016, the Real Rutland Regional Marketing Campaign was launched after identifying the need to increase the workforce and overall population in Rutland County to support business sustainability and growth. Since then, over 100 people have moved to the area by way of the Real Rutland Concierge Program.
If anyone is interested in learning more about Weekend Getaways or the Real Rutland Concierge Program, please contact Olivia Lyons at olivia@rutlandeconomy.com.
