Carol Johnson, Southern Indiana Business Report
LINTON – Ever since Greene County established a tourism commission in 2018, the organization has had a goal of one day making the cover of the Indiana Festival Guide.
The wait is finally over. The 2025 guide is out now and Greene County is the featured county on the cover.
“We’re super excited we were able to get everything together to where Greene County could apply for the cover,” said Richard Nichols, president of the Greene County Convention, Visitor and Tourist Commission.
The guide is the Indiana State Festivals Association’s listing of festivals across the 92 counties. About 500,000 copies of the guide are printed and distributed throughout the state.
The 2025 cover features several popular attractions in Greene County:
- Marsh Madness at Goose Pond FWA, Feb. 14-15
- Linton Freedom Fest, June 28-July 5.
- The Sculpture Trail Outdoor Museum’s Fire@Nite, July 26
- Scheid Diesel Extravaganza at Wagler Motorsports Park, Aug. 22-23
- Bloomfield Apple Fest, Oct. 3-5
Because multiple counties apply each year, selecting the cover is a juried process. Counties must make a monetary commitment and agree to host the Indiana State Festivals Association conference. The funds to cover the cost of the IFG cover came from the county’s innkeeper’s tax, which the county has had since 2017. The tax generates revenue to promote local tourism. Despite having an innkeeper’s tax, the tourism commission has remained an all-volunteer group since it formed.
Growing tourism
A recent analysis of tourism spending by Rockport Analytics shows how a county can benefit from promoting its tourism assets to visitors.
- Visitors to Greene County spent $24.2 million in 2023, an increase of 5.3% from 2022.
- The economic impact of that spending was $7.9 million.
- Tourism in Greene County generated $2.1 million in state and local taxes.
- 227 jobs in Greene County were supported by tourism.
The 5.3% growth of tourism placed Greene County 55th among 92 counties in growth rankings, according to Rockport Analytics.
Nichols said seeing the financial impact of tourism is tangible evidence that the commission’s work is paying off.
“We’re finally seeing the growth we want to see,” he said. “A lot of people think that tourists who come to southern Indiana are going to places like Lake Monroe or Patoka Lake, but seeing that $24 million is spent here tells me that what we’re doing is worthwhile.”
Greene County is part of Discover Southern Indiana, a regional tourism initiative that includes 12 counties.
Whitney Lubbers is executive director of Visit Dubois County, and has collaborated with Nichols and the Greene Co. tourism commission via their involvement with Discover Southern Indiana.
“It’s very exciting to see Greene County on the front cover,” she said. “Our region has a lot of hidden gems and I think it’s wonderful more people will be hearing about what Greene County has to offer.”
Being on the guide’s cover will bring broader exposure to Greene County’s tourism assets and Nichols is counting on the cover bringing new visitors to see the county’s unique offerings.
Nichols pointed to places such as the Tulip Trestle, Yoho General Store, Wagler Motorsports Park and the Sculpture Trail as attractions you’d be hard pressed to find in most communities. He also pointed to outdoor areas such as Shakamak State Park, Redbird State Recreation Area and the Greene Sullivan State Forest as big draws.
“The Tulip Trestle is literally a one-of-a-kind place,” he said. “And Yoho General Store is like stepping back in time,” he said.
The Tulip Trestle, completed in 1906, is the sixth longest trail viaduct in the United States. Measuring 2,295-foot, it was built for trains to transport coal from Greene County mines to large cities.
Yoho General Store in Solsberry serves up southern Indiana style dishes for breakfast, lunch and dinner. CFC Properties restored the general store in 2012 to preserve its history.
Greene is one of just three counties in Discover Southern Indiana that does not have paid staff. Martin and Washington counties also rely on volunteers. In addition to Nichols, members of the Greene County CVB are Tonjua Toon, John Cotter, Kristy Lewellyn and Patti Danner.
“Through their tourism involvement, they’ve had some steady increases,” Lubbers said. “They are doing some great work for their county.”
With its neon green background – chosen by Greene County – the guide is the biggest ever at 124 pages. The festival guide cover is also part of the large graphic that wraps around the ISFA step van that travels the state visiting festivals.
Doug Weisheit, ISFA coordinator, said counties featured on the cover will typically see record attendance at their events that year. Weisheit, who drives the van, dubbed ISFA 1, will bring the van to all five of the events featured on the cover this year.