John Browns Raid

The Hagerstown-Washington County Convention and Visitors Bureau recently received the Maryland Governor’s Cultural Heritage Tourism Award at the Maryland Tourism and Travel Summit.

The award was presented in recognition for the bureau’s work in promoting the 150th anniversary of John Brown’s Raid on Harpers Ferry.

The bureau sponsored and hosted the 150th Anniversary of John Brown’s Raid Web site (www.johnbrownraid.org) and did a significant amount of marketing and promotion for the event, which was named a Top 100 Event in North America by the American Bus Association.

Thomas B. Riford, president and CEO of the Hagerstown-Washington County Convention and Visitors Bureau, was presented with the award. Riford gave recognition to the four-state John Brown 150th anniversary committee, which planned more than 100 commemoration events.

“I was very pleased to accept the award at the Maryland Tourism and Travel Summit from the governor,” Riford said. “I accepted the award on behalf of the entire multistate and multicounty committee.”

Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley announced the recipients of the 2009 Maryland Tourism Awards, which were selected by the Maryland Office of Tourism and the Maryland Tourism Development Board, at the summit held earlier this month in Ocean City, Md.

Two new John Brown’s Raid projects are in the works.

“Echoes of John Brown,” a movie and travelogue sponsored and produced by the CVB and professionally done by Historical Entertainment, will be available at the Downtown Hagerstown Visitor Welcome Center and at Harpers Ferry (W.Va.) National Historical Park. The premiere of the film is scheduled for Dec. 2.

A new CD of John Brown music and Civil War music also has been produced by the CVB. The CD contains all original songs performed by Jenny Avila and her band and will be available soon.