Courier March Courier | Page 14

BUSINESS

Celebratory cities

A trio of destinations salute significant anniversaries in 2018
BY BOB ROUSE
“ A CENTENNIAL ANNIVERSARY is a
once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for a city
to make a bold statement about its past ,
present and future .”
That summation by Casandra Matej ,
president and CEO of Visit San Antonio ,
describes what ’ s taking place not only
in San Antonio this year , but also in
( at least ) two other cities within the
NTA community . New Orleans , like San
Antonio , is celebrating its tricentennial
anniversary , and Sault Ste . Marie ,
Michigan , has 350 candles on its cake .
“ I can ’ t tell you how proud we are to be celebrating the 350th anniversary of Sault Ste . Marie as the oldest permanent settlement in Michigan and one of the oldest communities in the interior of the United States ,” says Fred Huffman , group tour coordinator of Michigan ’ s Upper Peninsula Travel & Recreation Association . “ There ’ s a full slate of activities scheduled throughout the year .”
July is prime time for the city ’ s celebrations , beginning with a Fourth of July parade and fireworks show and concluding with Rendezvous in the Sault , when re-enactors will set up displays and camps that depict military and civilian life from 1668 to 1840 . The event is set for July 28 – 29 .
In between is the 350th Anniversary Festival , a series of events and activities focused on the region ’ s history , culture , food and military heritage . The downtown festival will take place July 21 – 27 .
Sault Ste . Marie is at the nexus of two Great Lakes — Huron and Superior — and the Soo Locks , which connect the two lakes , have long been one of the world ’ s busiest waterway traffic systems .
“ Most groups visiting Sault Ste . Marie take a ride with Soo Locks Boat Tours , or they watch the freighters pass through the locks from the observation decks in Canal Park ,” Huffman says . “ I really enjoy the dinner cruise , which takes you through both the American and Canadian lock systems .”
The region ’ s rich heritage extends beyond the locks . “ A lot of groups do a hub-and-spoke day trip to the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum at Whitefish Point , which features the bell from the
Kicking off San Antonio ’ s tricentennial at the Travel Exchange icebreaker
Edmund Fitzgerald , says Huffman . “ They ’ ll
also visit the Upper Tahquamenon Falls ,
which is the second-largest waterfall
east of the Mississippi River and is on
the river where Hiawatha launched a
canoe to start his epic journey .”
Celebrating a city ’ s major anniversary
is itself an epic journey , according to
Matej . “ In San Antonio , our tricentennial
year is a community effort with every
neighborhood , organization and company
playing a role in the celebration .”
The yearlong salute , which had a preview
kickoff during Travel Exchange , is
projected to have a $ 120 million economic
impact on the local economy , attract more
than a quarter-million new visitors to the
city and spur business development .
VISIT SAN ANTONIO
LEFT : UPPER PENINSULA TRAVEL & RECREATION ASSOCIATION RIGHT : NEW ORLEANS CVB
Soo Locks Boat Tours and Sunset Dinner Cruise St . Louis Cathedral in New Orleans
12 March 2018