Darke County Visitors Bureau...
2012/2013 Official Visitors Guide Released 
March 8,  2012 

GREENVILLE, OH (March 7, 2012) – Hot off the presses, the Darke County Visitors Bureau announced the release and distribution of the 2012/2013 Official Visitors Guide for Darke County, Ohio. 

“The Official Visitors Guide is designed to resemble the look and feel of a lifestyle magazine. The cover titles invite readers to open the magazine and discover the urban-country spirit of Darke County,” stated Deanna York, designer of the guide and executive director of the bureau. 

The 48-page publication includes information on the “must sees” in Darke County, including hidden gems like Bear’s Mill, The Inn at Versailles, The Winery at Versailles and Garst Museum to legendary finds like Annie Oakley, KitchenAid and Eldora Speedway. 

Readers are invited to peek through time to discover the adventurous, innovative and infectious spirit found in Darke County. The ‘Legends & Legacies’ speak to this spirit found in an afternoon tour of Bear’s Mill with Master Miller, Terry Clark or a weekend spent exploring the traditions of a place that delights in the merriment of old town festivals and artisanal craftsmanship. 

The ‘Small Town Finds’ that are celebrated in our western Ohio community, are also attractive to folks from the big cities looking for a renaissance of cultural experiences brimming with rich, authentic local flavor. 

Readers are encouraged to visit Darke County to be an outdoor enthusiast, naturalist or adventurer through ‘Explore Nature’ and ‘Parks & Preserve’ sections of the new guide. With almost 900 acres of parks and preserves area in the county, families, friends and visitors are invited to the beautiful landscapes, popular events and new-and-upcoming paths. 

This attractive travel magazine also features the accommodations and local restaurants found in Darke County, as well as a highlight of events for the two-year period. A full calendar of events can be found on our website at www.VisitDarkeCounty.org/events. 

“The new Official Visitors Guide for Darke County is itself a fusion of creativity, innovation and authentic local flavor,” shared York. “Young, local talent who call Darke County home brought this publication to life through their creative talents, with passion, pen, paint brush, computer and camera.” 

“I would be remiss if I didn’t mention these artists by name, although words fail me as I am humbled by their amazing talents,” York explained. 

M.S. Birt, founder of The Samizdat, a local features and arts web magazine, thinker, space-taker-upper put pen to paper and shared his heart. Greenville ‘lifer,’ Birt as he’s commonly referred to at the local coffee joint, shared a feeling that many ‘lifers’ have about Darke County… there’s a new energy emerging… a renaissance, if you will.” 

Artist, graphic designer, web master, jack-of-all-traders... master of… well, all actually, Michael Glass also contributed to the new visitors guide. Owner of Michael Glass Arts, Glass took a flat map and brought it to life with his painting talents. He added depth to the map by painting fields and trees, as well as creating icons for the iconic attractions in Darke County, like Annie Oakley and Bear’s Mill. Glass is continuing his love of Darke County by crafting a new website for the Darke County Historical Society’s Garst Museum and Annie Oakley Center. 

When developing the layout and feel of the guide, the main idea was to share the warm hospitality and smiling faces found in our community. This message is strong in the new visitors guide because of the amazing talent of local photographer, Amber Garrett of Look Here Photography. 

Mild-mannered office worker by day, mom and event coordinator by night, as well as one thousand other things, Amber found the time in her busy life to capture the urban-country spirit of Darke County. Amber, also a Darke County ‘lifer’ fell in love with her home town all over again. 

“The photography gig forced me to attend events I normally would not have attended,” admitted Garrett, co-owner with her husband, Rob of The Coffee Pot in downtown Greenville. “I ended up loving them! Turns out the Gourd Show is pretty cool... it reminded me of all the great things we have going for us, and all the great things that could happen in the future.” 

The 40,000 copies printed will be distributed over the next 18 months to individuals interested in discovering all that Darke County has to offer. The guides will be on display and available at tourist information centers, attractions, accommodations and restaurants across the State of Ohio. 

Local folks are encouraged to stop by the Visitors Bureau in downtown Greenville to pick up copies for family reunions, weddings or for visiting friends and family, or visit any one of the brochure racks located in attractions, accommodations and restaurants across Darke County. 

Guides are also available at local festivals and events, and by calling the bureau at (937) 548-5158 or via email at info@visitdarkecounty.org. Information and daily updates are also available on Facebook on the bureau’s fan page, “Darke County Visitors Bureau.”