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Blowing Rock Wins Platinum, Gold and Silvers in Blue Ridge Country Best of the Mountains Poll

June 17, 2013.  Adding to its recent media accolades, Blowing Rock has won four awards in Blue Ridge Country magazine’s 2013 Best of the Mountains poll. Blowing Rock won Platinum for Art in the Park/Best Arts/crafts Show, Gold for Best Main Street and Silvers for Best Arts Town and Best Shopping. Winners were selected from candidates in Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, West Virginia, Georgia, South Carolina and Alabama. 

image002Blowing Rock Mayor JB Lawrence expressed his appreciation for all the groups and individuals who helped the Town distinguish itself from the regional competition. “I’m extremely proud of all the folks who make awards such as these possible, including Town officials, the TDA, Chamber, retailers and citizens. Working together, they make Blowing Rock the beautiful travel destination it is,” Lawrence said.

Blue Ridge Country readers voted on line for two months and in record numbers, according to Editor-in-Chief Kurt Reinheimer. “We conduct Best of the Mountains voting only every five years, and we’re so pleased that our knowledgeable, mountain-loving readership turned up a few real surprises to go along with recognizing many of the classic sites and sights of the region,” Reinheimer said. A complete list of award winners can be found in the July/August 25th Anniversary Edition of Blue Ridge Country.

Tracy Brown, Executive Director of the Blowing Rock TDA, weighed in on the awards: “This most recent recognition from the readers of Blue Ridge Country reflects once again the positive and lasting impression that Blowing Rock makes on its visitors. Winning is just another indication that our business leaders, elected officials and employees around town are proud of our tourism product and are making the right decisions to ensure that visitors have a top-notch experience every time they’re in town.”

Blowing Rock has also been voted Prettiest Small Town in North Carolina by a group of regional journalists and selected as one of America’s Prettiest Winter Towns by Travel & Leisure magazine. Recently, the town’s Main Street was honored with a 2013 Great Places in North Carolina award from the N.C. Chapter of the American Planning Association. For more information, visit blowingrock.com.