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Economic Impact
The Crooked Road: Virginia’s Heritage Music Trail promotes Southwest Virginia’s music and culture by marketing over 60 cultural music venues across 19 counties, four independent cities and over 50 towns. Since 2003, The Crooked Road has branded the region as a unique place with one of the richest musical traditions and cultures in the world. Its work has contributed to the rise of interest in and appreciation for the region’s heritage music, helping to attract tourists, grow businesses, and improve Southwest Virginia’s quality of life for local residents. In 2015, the Virginia Tech Office of Economic Development prepared a report that confirms these effects and estimates The Crooked Road’s economic impact.
Analysis of interviews and surveys indicates that marketing by The Crooked Road facilitates $6.4 million of spending annually in SWVA, from which an equivalent of 108 full-time jobs are created or sustained annually, and $2 million funnel into households through workers’ wages. As this money circulates within the region through business and employee spending, additional money and jobs are created, resulting in an annual impact of approximately $9.2 million and 131 jobs in SWVA due to The Crooked Road.
Support The Crooked Road
Your donation is also used to support traditional music education, local venues, artists, and the incredibly rich musical heritage of Southwest Virginia.