By Stefanie Jackson – Local nonprofit Eastern Shore Birding and Wildlife Programs Inc. is having its first Birds, Brews, & BBQ, Saturday, Sept. 14, 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., at Cape Charles Brewing Company, an all-you-can-eat event promoting education about Eastern Shore birds and wildlife.
Free birding walks are also offered, beginning at 7:30 a.m.
The all-you-can-eat dinner will include barbecue, macaroni and cheese, clam chowder, and a craft beer. Tickets are $40 in advance or $50 at the door and are available at Cape Charles Brewing Company or eventbrite.com
Birds, Brews, & BBQ is made possible in part by a $2,700 Virginia Tourism Corporation marketing grant, one of 44 VTC grants totaling more than $965,000 recently announced by Gov. Ralph Northam.
“These grant funds help destinations improve our communities, create jobs for our citizens, and make Virginia an even more attractive place for visitors and businesses alike,” Northam said.
Participation in the VTC Marketing Leverage Program requires a partnership of three or more Virginia entities, including cities, towns, counties, chambers of commerce, businesses, museums, attractions, and other tourism-related businesses.
Eastern Shore Birding and Wildlife Programs partnered with Cape Charles Brewing Company, Coastal Virginia Wildlife Observatory, and the Eastern Shore Tourism Commission to apply for the grant.
Every dollar awarded by the grant program is matched and leveraged by partners at a rate of about 3-to-1. That’s nearly $2.9 million in matching funds, bringing the total of new Virginia tourism marketing dollars to more than $3.8 million.
VTC awards about $1.7 million in grants annually.
“Tourism partners from across the commonwealth have come together to create important new development projects and programs that will attract more travelers and increase visitor spending,” Northam said.
In 2018, Virginia tourism generated $26 billion in revenue and $1.8 billion in state and local taxes, and it supported more than 234,000 jobs.
For more information on Eastern Shore Birding and Wildlife, visit www.BirdingEasternShore.org
To register for a birding field trip, contact [email protected]
