Page 11 - BusinessWest February 3, 2021

Jennifer Nacht says a heavy focus on outdoor experiences last year helped Lenox weather the economic impact of the pandemic.
said everyone concen- trated their efforts on making Lenox a welcome and inviting place. Out- door dining was a first step that helped to estab- lish a more vibrant atmo- sphere, and it inspired further activities.
For example, the Lenox Cultural District and the chamber orga- nized Lenox Loves Music, an initiative that featured live music performed at the Church Street Dining Terrace for seven straight Sundays in August and September. It was a hit.
“Because we were able to turn on a dime and
get everything set up, we were able to make the outside experience fun,” Nacht said. “As a result, we were better able to weather the financial impact of the pandemic.”
Hit the Road
If entry points to walk- ing and biking trails are any indication, Ketchen said the pandemic helped
many people discover the town’s outdoor attrac- tions for the first time. “You couldn’t get a park- ing place at the trailheads in town. Even obscure
trailheads that were once known only to a hand- ful of locals were crowded.”
For more than 40 years, Lenox has held Apple Squeeze, a harvest celebration that takes over much of the downtown area with 150 food and craft vendors. The event was canceled for 2020 because of concerns that, even with restrictions, too many people would gather, leading to unsafe crowd sizes.
“You couldn’t get a parking place at the trailheads in town. Even obscure trailheads that were once known only to a handful of locals were crowded.”
As an alternative, the chamber and American Arts Marketing developed the Lenox Art Walk and scheduled it for the late-September weekend when the Apple Squeeze would have taken place. Forty artists set up in different areas around town in ‘artist villages,’ which were arranged so no more than 50 people could be in one area at a time. Foot-traffic flow was also designed to keep people moving through the exhibits.
Nacht said the Art Walk received great feed- back, and the artists involved loved exhibiting
Lenox
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COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT
FEBRUARY 3, 2021 11
BusinessWest