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BELLEFONTE — Being recognized for its positive social and economical impact on the region, Bellefonte Under the Lights will receive the PA Wilds Centre Event of the Year Award at its Nov. 7 awards banquet.
The event has become a popular ticket in Bellefonte and is meant to highlight some of the underutilized assets in the community.
Bellefonte Under the Lights was developed as a community dinner alongside the Spring Creek waterfront, under strands of bistro lights.
PA Wilds believes the dinner brought together neighborhoods in a way that was unexpected. Selling out in less than two hours in its first year, the dinner brought together residents and tourists alike; and through the event, Downtown Bellefonte Inc., the community’s Main Street program, was able to put more than $10,000 back into the downtown economy. In its second year, the event again sold out quickly.
Organizers look to offer Bellefonte Under the Lights as an annual event to help stimulate the local economy and capitalize on unique community assets.
Each year, the PA Wilds Center for Entrepreneurship Inc. recognizes outstanding individuals, organizations, programs, communities and places that exemplify the great work being done across the region to develop nature tourism and the outdoor recreation economy in a way that creates jobs, diversifies local economies, inspires stewardship and improves quality of life.
Hosted by the PA Wilds Center in coordination with the PA Wilds Planning Team, the PA Wilds Annual Dinner and Awards is a premier networking opportunity in the Pennsylvania Wilds. More than 250 businesses and community leaders from across the region, along with state partners and officials from Harrisburg, gather to celebrate the Champions of the Pennsylvania Wilds award winners during the dinner. This year’s dinner is slated for Nov. 7 at the DuBois Country Club, Clearfield County.
The theme of this year’s events is “The PA Wilds: A Rural Development Hub,” which will focus on an innovative approach to community and economic development in rural America and uplift the many people involved in such work.
“So many people and organizations contribute to the success of the PA Wilds, and it is our great pleasure to honor champions each year at this event,” said Ta Enos, founder and CEO of the PA Wilds Center. “These winners are making a powerful impact in their communities and within our regional landscape. The PA Wilds Annual Dinner and Awards is a great occasion to celebrate these leaders and honor their accomplishments.”
