A new website aims to provide potential tourists a one-stop shop for all they need to know about what’s happening in Williamstown, Massachusetts.
The Destination Williamstown website took less than a year to go live. Barbara McLucas is one of a handful of residents who met on a porch in July 2013 and decided it was time to better showcase their town online.
“We can do this,” McLucas said. “Let’s do a website. Let’s tell people about the world that is here in Williamstown; the cultural and outdoor activities you can do. Rather than coming for one specific purpose such as dropping a kid off at school, summer camp or theatre, realize that there are so many more things that you can do while you’re here.”
The site features links to hundreds of organizations ranging from restaurants, hotels and major destinations like The Clark Art Institute, Williamstown Theatre Festival and Mount Greylock, while also showcasing local shops, fairs and scenic drives. Sandra Thomas is the site’s curator and handles daily operations. She says it’s important the site doesn’t become a static display of the permanent attractions.
“Adding in the ‘Ideas’ section because there are a lot people who come to this area and do really interesting talks or tours and there’s a lot really interesting history in the area,” Thomas said. “So that became a valuable component. Along with the ‘Community’ tab, which we really feel lends a flavor to who we are and what we value as a community in our town. Our farms, our local food, classes and workshops, even parks and playgrounds.”
The group has raised $90,000 for the first year of operation through fundraising efforts and contributions from the private attractions that are prominently featured. Thomas says a newsletter will highlight the top picks of the week and publish editorial content.
“Bloggers come to the area, recently there was a food blogger who had a journey through the Berkshire so we might showcase something like that,” Thomas said. “So we can show that not only are we talking about this, but others are as well.”
The site was created with the help of local graphic designers and developed by the firm Winstanley, based in Lenox. A sliding calendar allows visitors to see what’s happening that day or weeks down the road. McLucas says that appeals to visitors and residents.
“You can search by a category or you can just say ‘Hey what’s happening in Williamstown on July 13th?’” McLucas explained. “And it’ll just give you everything.”
Though its name is Destination Williamstown, the site doesn’t exclude areas outside the town’s borders, according to McLucas.
“But we’re hoping that you use Williamstown as your central point,” McLucas. “You can do evening or day trips out to these other venues because the area is very rich in all sorts of cultural and outdoor opportunities.”
Heading into much-anticipated summer and fall seasons with the unveiling ofrenovations at The Clark and the displaying of the Magna Carta, Thomas says even more features will be added to the website.
“This is Destination Williamstown 1.0,” said Thomas.
In early June, an area of Williamstown was designated as an official cultural district by the Massachusetts Cultural Council. It is only the second such district in Berkshire County joining Pittsfield. Shelburne Falls in Franklin County is also home to a designated cultural district.
A similar campaign that spanned from 2011 to 2012 in Lenox, known as Lenoxology, was plagued by delays. The town had a $56,000 contract with a New York City-based firm to develop a site that would complement the town of Lenox website and another operated by the Berkshire Chamber of Commerce. The creation was Discover Lenox, which directs visitors to the Lenox town government website and the Lenox Chamber of Commerce.
