Worcester Business Journal

wbjournal.com | November 4, 2019 | Worcester Business Journal 13 N O R T H C O U N T Y R E G I O N S Knowledge + Experience + Trusted Advice. It all adds up. Large enough to serve the needs of most businesses and individuals; small enough to offer the personal attention you expect and deserve. Greenberg, Rosenblatt, Kull & Bitsoli, PC Certified Public Accountants 306 Main Street, Suite 400 • Worcester, MA 01608 508.791.0901 • www.grkb.com • Business Events • Team Building • Sales Meetings • Interviews • Corporate Meetings • Business Luncheons • Business Dinners • On- or Off-Site Catering 50 Water Street | Worcester, MA 01604 (508) 379-3400 | Lock50.com The Perfect Business Partner for all Your Hospitality Needs! itself, represent a gateway to the region. Nascimento said 150,000 visitors stop there each year. ey can see apple trees descended from those planted more than 150 years ago by John Chapman – the real Johnny Appleseed and a Leominster native. And they can get information about attractions from farms and cheese shops to museums and upscale restaurants. "It's just a great mechanism to let people know what there is to do in the area," said Henry Tessman, general manager of the Great Wolf Lodge New England hotel and water park in Fitchburg and vice-chair of the Visit North Central board. "A lot of times people don't realize what else there is to do, so it helps them to plan trips in the future to come back." Tessman said Great Wolf Lodge draws families from a three- to four- hour driving ring, including Greater Boston as well as the upper New England states and parts of New York, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. While the water park is a destination resort, he said, families may stay more than one day and spend part of their visit to the area hiking, visiting local farms, or skiing at Wachusett Mountain. "We complement a lot of other types of businesses," he said. Nascimento said when one local destination ups its game, it tends to have ripple effects across the economy. For example, the Wachusett Brewing Co. in Westminster has added new attractions including a cra brewing barn to draw visitors from a wider area. Youth sports is another part of the local tourist economy, and a new soccer complex in Fitchburg has brought fami- lies from across New England. Lancaster and Devens also play host to sports events drawing in parents and kids. "ey're spending money, they'll go out to eat, they may stay in a local hotel if they're coming for a tournament," Nascimento said. Farms are another key part of the tourism economy, which don't simply sell produce but host weddings and fes- tivals, provide hay ride and pick-your- own fruit, and offer chances for kids to feed animals. Among these agritourism destinations are Davis Farms in Bolton, Sholan Farms in Leominster, and, of course, Rose's Red Apple Farm. Rose said tourism has been a big part of his farm's business since the 1980s, and it's expanded over the years. e Continued on Page 14 Year Assessed value North County combined total property value 2013 ...............................$21,434,571,290 2014 ...............................$21,204,069,942 2015 ...............................$21,525,386,464 2016 ...............................$21,992,523,602 2017 ...............................$22,914,482,041 2018 ...............................$24,232,851,897 2019 ...............................$26,020,400,486 Source: Mass. Department of Revenue The Wachusett Dam in Clinton

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