Hunting Archery Duck Deer

County optimistic of financial benefit as Ducks Unlimited Great Outdoors Festival unrolls its villages at Virginia Motorsports Park in June

DINWIDDIE - It apparently takes large numbers of paying customers for the Ducks Unlimited Great Outdoors Festival to bring financial benefit to the Dinwiddie County revenue stream, according to official records.

Weather affected the 2003 and the 2004 attempts at a successful festival in Dinwiddie. In 2003, Hurricane Isabel set dead aim on the central Virginia area, forcing the Ducks Unlimited tent city to be taken down and the festival to be cancelled.
In 2004, there was no hurricane in the immediate area but the September event had to withstand significant rainfall and the show did go on. Festival officials reported more than 10,000 people attended the three-day event, but county records show the admissions tax gave the county less than $1,800 and the county provided emergency ambulance service as well as fire and law enforcement protection for three days at no cost to the festival.
Some businesses such as Picture Lake Campground did benefit from the 2004 festival and some Tri-City area motels did rent significantly more rooms during the week of the outdoors event. Gas stations and restaurants picked up extra income from festival attendance.
Ducks Unlimited planners have moved the festival this year to June 17, 18 and 19, away from the September hurricane season.
The festival is a great participatory event, allowing outdoorsmen and Ducks Unlimited members from within a 300-mile radius to come and take part at Virginia Motorsports Park, said Marlon Dance, an owner of Dance Sporting Goods in Colonial Heights.
The Hilton Garden Inn staff is already expecting to fill its 155 rooms during festival week. The full service hotel in Colonial Heights will be the host hotel this year. Last year Comfort Suites in Colonial Heights was the host hotel, but some of the vendors stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn.
Steve Prial, the Hilton Garden Inn general manager, said he is optimistic “the success of a 2005 outdoors festival will lead to the renewal of the agreement between Ducks Unlimited and the motorsports park.” Ducks Unlimited originally signed a 3-year agreement with the park.
“I feel the outdoors festival is one of the best things we could have,” agreed Ann Blazek, manager of Picture Lake Campground, located next door to the motorsports park. “Last year we were really booked. We have the potential to handle more than 200 sites.”
“I noticed the people who came last year did hardly any drinking. The event attracts good people,” Blazek said.
Also on U.S. 1, fairly close to the park, is Holiday Inn Express which already has some festival vendors signed up for the June festival. The Hampton Inn at The Crossings also has already rented rooms to festival participants.
Dance reminds area residents that 60,000 tickets have been sold at Ducks Unlimited festivals in the Midwest. He said, “We are excited about this year’s festival. We will have an exhibit there again this year.”
“These people have invested a large sum of money” in an outdoors festival for Virginia, Dance said. “We feel that if we have good weather it will be a tremendous event. More than 100 Ducks Unlimited volunteers will take part.”
Brian Watkins of Mathews, Va., will bring his duck call business to the exhibit area. He had great success showing off his duck calls at last year’s festival.
“This has been a lifelong work of love for me,” Watkins, now 30, said by telephone last week. “I think the Ducks Unlimited Festival is going to be great. There really aren’t any events like this in the region. It is very family oriented,” Watkins said.
Festival hours are Friday, June 17, from noon to 7 p.m., Saturday, June 18, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.; and Sunday, June 19, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Ticket prices are $10 for adults attending one day and $5 for children attending one day.
The specialized villages at the festival include:
* Archery village - fully equipped with 3-D targets and trick shooting demonstrations.
* Hunting dog village -Dockdogs big air competition; info from experts on dog handling and training.
* Shooting sports village - Opportunity to test out the latest shotguns, rifles, pistols and air rifles and exhibition by famous shooters.
* Fishing village - Visitors can paddle a canoe and kayak around the lake and learn the latest fly-fishing, spin casting and bait casting techniques.
* ATV village - Visitors can test drive the latest ATVs on an off-road course.
* Off road/4×4 village - Visitors can take the latest tucks and SUVs on a specially designed off road track.
* Kids zone - Dozens of activities designed especially for the kids - including fishing, biking, rock climbing, archery and shooting sports.
* Conservation village - Local, regional and national conservation organizations show how nonprofit agencies are making a difference.
* Exhibitor village - Hunting accessories of a wide variety are available and this even includes duck and goose calls.
* Ben Bagwell can be reached at 732-3456, ext. 260

By: Ben Bagwell, Staff Writer