Media Contact: Beth Thornburg
Phone: 800.254.8090
E-Mail: news@lagrangecountycvb.org
Photos and interviews available upon request

AMERICAN BUS ASSOCIATION NAMES SHIPSHEWANA QUILT FESTIVAL
ONE OF NORTH AMERICA'S 100 BEST EVENTS FOR 2011

The Shipshewana Quilt Festival is the region's largest event of its kind, and draws thousands of visitors each June for the four-day event. The dates for the 2011 event are June 22-25.

"To be selected as a Top 100 event after only its second year points to the great collaborative efforts of many businesses and individuals in the Shipshewana area," shared JoDee Hooley, Group Tour Specialist for the Shipshewana/LaGrange County Convention and Visitors Bureau (LCCVB). "Quilting enthusiasts love the great variety of fabric stores in the area, with everything from large stores in town to small Amish shops in the countryside. The workshops and nationally recognized speakers have also been a big draw, along with additional entertainment and shopping opportunities that Shipshewana provides."

Beth Thornburg, executive director of the LCCVB, estimates that the economic impact of the 2010 event was $300,000. According to studies completed by researchers at The George Washington University and Dunham and Associates, one overnight visit by a motorcoach group can leave from US $5,000 to more than US $13,000 in a local destination's economy. Those dollars are spent on lodging, meals, admissions, fees, shopping, souvenirs, services and local taxes.

Check out the story and more information on the ABA's Top 100 Events at www.buses.org.

For more information on the Shipshewana Quilt Festival, visit www.ShipshewanaQuiltFest.com.

ABA's Top 100 Events in North America is an annual compendium of the best events for group travel in the United States and Canada. Each spring, a committee of ABA-member motorcoach and tour operators selects the Top 100 Events for the subsequent year; the list is unveiled in September. Winners are chosen from hundreds of celebrations, festivals, fairs, commemorative events, and more that have been nominated by ABA members. From among the winners, ABA names the Number One Event for both the United States and Canada.

ABA launched the Top 100 program in 1982 to help motorcoach and tour operators plan itineraries. Each year, 100 U.S. and Canadian events are selected for the program. Two events from the list of 100 are singled out for top honors, one from each country.

Now in its 29th year, the Top 100 Events receive worldwide attention via the media--television, radio, and print--such as USA Today and CNN. ABA distributes some 10,000 copies of the Top 100 Events in North America magazine, featuring the winners, to all of its members and to thousands of travelers worldwide.

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The LaGrange County Convention and Visitor’s Bureau is the official agency for tourism marketing, planning and development in LaGrange County, Indiana. If you have any questions about LaGrange County or would like more information about Shipshewana and other LaGrange County attractions please go on-line to www.VisitLagrangeCounty.org or call 800.254.8090.

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