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The Flowertown Festival is held the first weekend in April each year–Main Street Summerville


Summerville Family YMCA Flowertown Festival Fast Facts: Nationally acclaimed festival has been named one of the Top 20 Events in the Southeast by the Southeast Tourism Society.


The Festival always coincides with the Cooper River Bridge Run


Produced by the Summerville Family YMCA


Benefits YMCA programs It is a free event


Special Events include: Children’s Jubilee Tennis Tournament Live Bands and Musical Ensembles Taste of Summerville


More than 200 Arts and Crafts vendors participate


“The first impact is the publicity


the town of Summerville receives across the country,” McCoy says, adding that this word-of-mouth advertising continues to create new awareness of the Festival across the Southeast and beyond. “The second impact is the out-


pouring of community spirit, as townspeople, booth workers, artists and attendees come together to help the Summerville Family YMCA raise money,” she adds. Most dramatic, however, are the


numbers. According to Al Parish of the Charleston Southern University Center for Economic Forecasting, more than 223,000 visitors attended the 2004 Festival, with a total economic impact of $28 million. Dr. Bing Pan, head of research for the College of Charleston’s Office of Tourism Analysis, estimates that hotel occupancy increased by as much as 98 percent as a result of the Festival and the Cooper River Bridge Run. The two events are always scheduled for the same weekend; after sprinting across the bridge, it seems that runners and spectators enjoy the chance to stroll through the quaint town of Summerville and


visit the Festival. It is estimated that each visitor spends an average of $225 per day. The profits brought in by the Fes-


tival are used to better the commu- nity by improving recreational facili- ties and providing health-oriented programs. In 1975, an article in the Summerville Journal reported a profit of $1,200 toward construction of a swimming pool. The following year—after the fourth Festival—the YMCA was able to purchase a tract of land from Westvaco, which was earmarked for ball fields. By 1982, the Festival had raised enough money to finish the pool, as well as the baseball and soccer fields. As the Festival expanded, so did


the profits. In 1995, the “Y” invest- ed in property for a new Wellness Center, which opened in September 2002. Members now have access to state-of-the-art exercise equipment, a pool and locker rooms with sauna and massage rooms. Jean Gantt’s dream of raising


enough money to provide a safe place for Summerville’s children to play came true–in a much bigger way than she could ever have imagined.


www.JanaBantz.com | www. ILoveSummervi l le.com


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