Lowndes County has a packed spring calendar, and the fun is just getting started.WATCH FULL REPORT BELOW: Lowndes County's spring calendar is packed with events leading up to the Bluesberry FestivalAgriculture, small businesses, and tourism are coming together across Lowndes County, creating new experiences for visitors and new opportunities for locals through initiatives like Trail 41 and the Made in Lowndes Market. The packed March calendar is setting the stage for one of the region's biggest events of the year.For people like Jerry Connell, the work is personal. Growing up in small town Adel, Connell made regular trips to Valdosta an experience that would later inspire his work highlighting rural communities across South Georgia.Today, he is behind our region's most recognizable tourism initiatives, including the Georgia Grown Trails.Back in 2024, Connell said the concept of agri-tourism is about more than just driving traffic to local businesses."It's the idea of agriculture and tourism put together, and you get agri-tourism! It's about getting people off of the interstate, visiting places they wouldn't otherwise visit, maybe show the grandbabies what it was like on a farm," Connell said.That idea is taking shape in Lowndes County through Trail 41, which includes the Lowndes County Historic Courthouse.Visitors to the region generated $35.2 million in state and local taxes, helping offset the overall tax burden and saving households an average of $805. Without that visitor spending, local families would likely pay more out of pocket to support essential services like roads, public safety, and schools.Events like the Made in Lowndes Market are connecting visitors directly with local vendors, food, and handmade goods and creating experiences that showcase and support the community.Visit Valdosta CEO Dave DiSalvo said visitor spending has a broad impact on the local economy."It's important for our local people to support that, but it also drives the economic person from a tourism standpoint to experience something that we experience locally," DiSalvo said.DiSalvo says tourism drives local jobs, supports small businesses, and brings new energy into the community. And the spring calendar is a prime example of that impact in action.What's happening in MarchSeveral events are coming up across the county before the season's marquee event arrives: Broadway Boys at the Turner Center for the Arts  March 19 Made in Lowndes Market  March 21 Hahira Downtown Day  March 28. The City of Hahira is inviting neighbors to come downtown and experience all it has to offer. VSU Orchestra  March 28 Valdosta Downtown Bar Crawl  March 28 Valdosta-Lowndes Vintage Arts Collective Market  March 29All of that leads up to the Bluesberry Festival, a weekend-long event set for April 10th and 11th that draws vendors from surrounding states and is expected to bring crowds of more than 10,000 people to the area. The festival features concerts, vendors, and community celebrations, making it one of the signature events on the regional spring calendar.This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.Want to see more local news? Visit the WTXL ABC 27 Website. Stay in touch with us anywhere, anytime.Like us on FacebookFollow us on Instagram and X. ...read more read less