Blowing Rock business owners pleading for tourists to return

BLOWING ROCK, N.C. ( QUEEN CITY NEWS ) — October is supposed to be the busiest month of the year for many small North Carolina mountain towns.

But those communities are struggling to get tourists in the aftermath of Helene. Some of them, like Blowing Rock, were unharmed by the storm and are open for business.

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"We are here," said Tiffany Hines, manager of The Gilded Lily by Patra, which is on Main Street in Blowing Rock. "We are open. Roads are fine."

Fall is Hines' favorite time of year.

"Normally in October in Blowing Rock, this is what we all refer to as Rock-tober," she said.

This year feels different.

"I should have at least 20 people in here," said Hines. "I shouldn't be able to talk to you. I should have a lot of people waiting on me, and I should have at least a staff of three or four people here at all times."

Instead, she's the only one inside the boutique.

"It's been sad," said Hines. "I mean, I've been able to get a lot of stuff out and get a lot of computer work done, but we're just not seeing people."

Next door, the shelves at Kevin Neaves' gift shop, Neaco, are stocked full of items. He's getting discouraged by the lack of foot traffic.

"It's dire," he said. "There's very few people in town and it's just so weird because this is our big, big month."

About 15 percent of Blowing Rock's overall revenue comes from the month of October.

"Our economy is visitation and tourism, and when they don't show up, it puts a big dent into our pockets," said Tracy Brown, executive director of Blowing Rock Tourism Development Authority.

It doesn't help that one of the area's big attractions for families, Tweetsie Railroad, is closed until the end of November.

"We had some damage from Helene, and we had a lot of mudslides that happened," said Cathy Robbins, vice president of Tweetsie Railroad. "A lot of our guests come from all over North Carolina. Being closed, it does have an economic impact."

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The small town has a big appeal, and those who work in the area hope people will make an effort to come and see them soon.

"Please come up," said Neaves. "We beg you. We'd love to see you."