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Some shop owners say festival causes dip

By JUSTIN HARMON/Staff

The Virginia Highlands Festival has more than its share of celebrants. Just look at the crowds that swarm the Martha Washington Inn lawn and Barter Green.
But it has another group that isn’t quite so excited to see its annual arrival.
“It’s not a big help normally,” said Duke Kegley, the owner of Kegley and Company clothing store on Main Street.
Kegley blames the crowds packing Abingdon for the annual dip in business.
Festival chasers from out of town tend to take up parking near his business and he said that locals don’t like to come out because they’re afraid of getting swept up in the traffic.
The Cave House, one of Abingdon’s chief tourist attractions, even feels the sting the festival can deliver.
Cave House manager Donna Price said the festival tends to hinder the business that the craft and gift shop does. She said she’ll see a small rise in patrons, but fewer buyers during the festival.
“A lot of people will come here, and we’re very grateful for them, but they’re not shoppers,” she said. “They probably purchase more at the festival than here.”
Barr Photographics owner R. Dean Barr isn’t too keen on the festival either. He said the competition for dollars during the festival puts a hurt on the local business owners, especially those who deal in the arts and crafts.
Barr said that back when Robert Porterfield started the festival, it was a great thing. Then Abingdon didn’t have art galleries and specialty shops like it does now, but since those things have become staples of Main Street, it tends to take away business from the shop owners who are active 365 days a year.
“It’s a killer,” he said.
Even places like Wines of Distinction and The Tavern see traffic changes during the festival weeks.
“It keeps our regular customers away,” said Wines of Distinction owner Katherine Rose. “Our customers think that because there’s so much traffic they’re under the impression we’re swamped, too.”
The Tavern owner Max Hermann said that he gets the same arguments from his regular customers: it’s just too busy to risk it.
However, Hermann said that the festival doesn’t really take a toll on his bottom line as the people that come to town for the festival need a place to eat. Even so, Hermann said it makes it hard to run the business. When his regulars come in, he knows exactly what they want and need. That’s not the case when strangers pour in.
“It definitely makes a difference in the philosophy of how you run your business,” he said.
Many other businesses understand Hermann’s thoughts on how the festival changes the approach of running a business, but instead of gearing down and riding out the storm, they bulk up and get ready for the rush.
“It’s wonderful,” said Abingdon Boarding House owner Juanita Johnson. “I’m full practically every night,” she said.
Johnson said that the festival brings tons of people in and is a great thing for the economy.
“It’s the best thing to happen to Abingdon since the Barter and the (Virginia Creeper Trail),” she said.
Camella’s Remember When tea shop owner co-owner Carrie Golliher said she doesn’t experience any of the negative effects the festival can have on other businesses and that the festival traffic tends to find its way to her door.
“I always look forward to festival time,” she said.
Golliher said that the biggest difference during festival time for her is that instead of mostly locals and people from all over the world, she’ll see an influx of people from around the region coming to check out the festival.
Hidden Memories antique shop owner Daniel Shew said his business also gets a huge leap in sales when the festival is around. According to him, they sell more in the two weeks the festival is going on than they normally do in a regular month. He also said that even when those people just come in a browse, they tend to spread the word about his shop and even come back to make a purchase.
The one local business that didn’t have much to say about the festival’s impact was Zazzy Z’s coffee shop and bookstore. Owner Ramsey White said the festival traffic doesn’t usually make it out to his store, so there’s no jump in sales, but there’s also no slack in his regular customers either.
“We just don’t see a great effect,” he said.
And even though the Virginia Highlands Festival can send some of the local shops into a downturn, many of their owners don’t think the festival is necessarily a bad thing.
Rose, Price and Hermann all said that while their shops do suffer a bit in their own ways, the festival is something to enjoy.
Forget Me Not clothing store owner Robin Mullins was one of the more outspoken supporters of the festival. While she said it doesn’t do a whole lot for her business, it would be hard to dissuade her from loving the goings-on.
“It’s only two weeks out of the year,” she said. “Why not enjoy it and make positive things?”
Justin Harmon can be reached at 628-7101 or