The Franklin Tourism Development Authority on Monday approved $10,700 in funding for four fall events that had previously been presented to the board. The events include the 828 Treasure Quest, Macon Farmers Market, The Naturalist trail race and a new art festival.
The funding comes as occupancy tax collections remained above their 10-year average. In July, revenue for fiscal year 2026-27 reached $17,922.97, the fourth-highest figure on record and about 5.3% above the 10-year average of $17,022.91.
All four applications were approved in full. 828 Treasure Quest will take place Oct. 10; The Naturalist 25/50K by Outdoor 76 will be held Oct. 3; the Uptown Gallery’s Plein Air Art Festival is scheduled for Oct. 22-24, and the farmers market will continue through the end of November.
Events bring outside dollars to Franklin
Board members believe sponsoring events is important for Franklin because they help bring money into the town from visitors who support lodging, food and other local businesses.
Board member Daniel Lawton said of The Naturalist, “There’s a surprisingly low number of racers that are locals. And so people come from out of town, they bring their families.”
The authority’s discussion of upcoming events came as board members reviewed the results of this year’s 80s Flashback Weekend. Organizers said the event produced stronger financial and attendance results than the previous year.
“We ended up this year taking in $30,000 more than we did last year with sponsorships, donors, and of course the main event,” said George Young, vice president and treasurer.
The 80s Flashback donated $42,000 to Shriners Children’s Hospital Greenville, which Young said was the largest donation in the event’s history.
He added that the data showed guests came to the event from 21 states. By comparison, visitors last year came from only 10 states.
For the Flashback, an improved marketing campaign may have contributed to the increase in attendance.
“We did decide that our ad reach was very good. That was something that we did more of this year and it was definitely a plus,” said Tracy Griffith, 80’s Flashback board president.
For example, organizers spent $4,275 on advertising billboards and approximately $9,600 on streaming TV and other promotional media. Organizers also expanded their advertising reach, while more local businesses participated in the 80s theme.
With the successful results, event organizers recognize that larger crowds also create greater needs for safety and security. Griffith said they want to focus more on that area next year as the event continues to grow and requires a greater law enforcement presence, which will also mean additional costs.
“We did not have any issues. Thank goodness. But we had so many people show up and every year it’s more and more people,” she said.
Marketing report
Morgan Stewart of Stewart Communications (and owner of this newspaper) reported the latest advertising statistics for the month since the August 10 TDA meeting. The town’s website recorded more than 13,000 visitors; Google search generated 216,000 impressions; the email click rate was 6%, compared with an industry average of 1.4%; and the town’s Facebook posts were viewed more than 174,000 times.
The Naturalist provided a good example of a broader marketing campaign. As Stewart noted, The Naturalist is being advertised across the Southeast and in markets nationwide where ultra races are held, from Idaho and Portland, Oregon, to New York.
The strategy targets more than people who may simply want to visit Western North Carolina. Instead, it focuses on a specific audience: potential ultra-race participants and their families.
That approach allows tourism marketing to target people who already have an interest in a particular type of event and potentially attracts visitors who will stay overnight in town.
The next TDA meeting is scheduled for October 12 at 5:30 p.m. in the Town Hall Board Room.
