Benezette, Pa. – Despite cancelling what is their equivalent of the Super Bowl, the CEO Keystone Elk Country Alliance was adversely impacted by the loss of the annual Elk Expo, but they will survive.
The expo, which is a joint venture between KECA and the Pennsylvania Great Outdoors Visitors Bureau, had been held annually since 2001 as a kickoff to the popular elk rut. Rawley Cogan, president and CEO of KECA, said the expo, which is held on the grounds of the Elk Country Visitor Center in Benezette, said the event attracts between 14,000 – 15,000 visitors over two days. This year, during the weekend of Aug. 15-16, the visitor center welcomed a couple thousand people.
Cogan said restrictions due to COVID-19 forced the cancellation of the expo, specifically when Gov. Tom Wolf issued a mitigation order limiting indoor gatherings to 25 people, a limit of 250 people for outdoor events and a 25% cap on indoor dining capacity.
“We waited to make the decision until the end of July, and we thought we might pull it off, but when it went to 25% it made it impossible,” Cogan said.
Aside from lost revenue due to fewer sales inside the visitor center, Cogan said cancellation of the expo left another significant void. All of the educational programs that are held during the expo were cancelled, and a lot of school groups didn’t show up as usual during the weekend. In addition, KECA has been forced to cancel four fundraising banquets and the status of its 10th anniversary gala – scheduled for Oct. 17 in Dubois – is uncertain.
“It was an opportunity missed,” Cogan said.
But all is not lost.
Since May, Cogan said, the visitor center and all of the PA Wilds area has seen an increase in tourism. And when the elk rut begins and viewing opportunities peak – which typically occurs from Labor Day to the third week of October, Cogan anticipates record crowds to the area.
From September through October between 250,000 and 300,000 visitors come to the elk center, and during all of 2019 the facility had 520,000 people come through the door.
“It keeps ramping up. People aren’t flying to go on vacation, but they’re going someplace,” Cogan said. “We welcome them to come here.”
He said the expected uptick in visitors this fall will help point of sale revenue in the center’s gift shop and theater, and it just might compensate for the money that would’ve been raised through the four canceled banquets.
And even though the expo and associated indoor programs have been called off, there is still plenty to see in elk country.
Cogan said the elk population is at its highest level – 1,400. The mild winter means the herd began the year in good shape, he added, and bulls are sporting impressive antler growth.
“I’m anticipating there will be a lot of elk to see and a lot of big bulls, some measuring 400 inches or better,” Cogan said.
John Straitiff, executive director of the Pennsylvania Great Outdoors Visitors Bureau, agreed that record crowds could descend on elk country this fall, and he’s already seeing evidence that could be the case.
The bureau recently produced a new elk viewing guide, Straitiff said, and demand has been high.
Best of all, he added, the elk range covers 10 counties and over 1,000 square miles, so there’s plenty of room for social distancing while viewing the big game animals.
“Places like Dents run and Winslow Hill are going to be packed on a Saturday, but there’s plenty of places to get away from crowds,” Straitiff said. “Once that first bull bugles and it hits Facebook, here come the crowds.”
And that may be the cavalry that rescues KECA and local businesses from the losses incurred due to the summer of COVID-19.
“There’s no question we’re going to survive this,” Cogan said. “A lot of people have been coming here during the summer, and I anticipate that will continue to increase.”
- This story originally appeared in PA Outdoor News.
- Photo credit: Todd Plank
Please credit the photo to Todd Plank.
Just updated it. Thanks.