“I don’t have any creative suggestions about how to attract visitors either, but I am concerned about the drop in tourism, and I’ll support whatever ideas the board thinks are worth trying. As a new business owner, I was counting on the seasonal summer revenue to help me recoup start-up costs.”

Christi frowned.

Was Beth in the same boat? Her shop was relatively new too.

A tall, lanky guy rose next.

Charley leaned in. “Adam Stone. Married to our police chief. Makes custom furniture. He’s a gifted craftsman.”

Christi wrote down the name Charley supplied, along with a few notes.

The man shifted from one foot to the other, as if he was uncomfortable speaking in front of a crowd. “The bulk of my business comes from out-of-town commissions, but many of the visitors who stop in at my workshop do end up ordering custom pieces or buying items I have on display. Do you think we should ask for a show of hands to verify the problem is as widespread as we think it is?”

“Excellent idea.” Marci gave him a thumbs-up. “Everyone who’s noticed a significant decline in revenue because of the drop in tourism, please raise your hand.”

Almost every person in the room did so.

“Wow.” Marci surveyed the crowd. “In light of that response, I think it’s urgent for us to put our heads together and come up with a plan to attract visitors.” She pursed her lips. “I wonder if we could build on our farmers’ market?”

As several people rose to comment on that suggestion, Charley again filled in the blanks. “The town has a farmers’ market every Friday from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Most of the merchants have a booth, and there’s usually live music.”

“Does it draw well?”

“Always has. That’s Patrick Roark.” He motioned to a sandy-haired man who’d risen. “He’s quite a historian. Gives talks all over the Pacific Northwest. And he’s a first-class photographer too.”

While the man spoke, and as several other people stood to throw out ideas or offer their thoughts, Christi continued to jot down the information Charley shared. In the lulls between writing, she reread her notes.

It was obvious Hope Harbor needed to convince tourists to visit the town—but doing business as usual wasn’t the answer. Popular as the farmers’ market was, those were fairly common. They needed a unique attraction. One that would draw attention and garner a ton of advance publicity, generating interest in the town as well as the event—perhaps all summer long.