July is a time of year when people who live in and around Shepherdstown are reminded why they do. And if they somehow forget, visitors coming for a few hours or few days will remind them. July is when arts and culture here are liveliest, when on any given weekend there are enough inviting offerings to instigate tough negotiations between spouses or partners about which to attend. Whether it’s the highbrow stuff or family-time performances, Shepherdstown in July is a festive town.
July’s anchor event, now in its 16th season, is the Contemporary American Theater Festival. Like most of Shepherdstown’s cultural institutions, CATF both enjoys a dedicated local following and draws visitors to the area—many of whom come year after year.
Just as important as the seven-digit influx of dollars CATF visitors bring to the local economy is the multiplier effect CATF has on other arts here. For example, there is the Goose Route Dance Festival, which has a life completely separate from CATF but is utterly simpatico—that’s why it takes place in July. Like its older sibling, Goose Route’s performances are accompanied by discussions; the troupe also offers an array of classes for dancers and would-be dancers of all ages.
The gallery scene gets a bit more buzz in July, too. Timed to coincide with CATF this July are installations like Gather, a four-artist show at the Entler.  Even the Shepherdstown Library gets into the act. Tuesday mornings in July belong to children. The library’s children’s department is presenting musical theater, Irish dance, drama, and ballet. An outfit with the impact of CATF is the engine that helps spawn and enable other cultural institutions.
Altogether, to the delight of local merchants, these July happenings make cash registers in Town sing. When you consider the festivals for poetry, film, and conservation film at other times of year, it’s easy to see why Shepherdstown is becoming know as a festival town. Economists call this clustering—somebody once won a Nobel prize for figuring out the phenomenon by which similar types of businesses and cultural attractions draw similar kinds of customers. With some planning and cooperation, each of our festivals could grow in quality and impact.
Economists who study how people part with their money have coined the phrase countryside tourism to describe travelers who visit small towns and rural areas—not to see one big attraction, but to soak in an entire scene. It’s a entrepreneur-based culture and economy. You might not always think of the tireless artists who found and nurture each of these endeavors as entrepreneurs, but that’s what they are. Without them living here, we would not have what we do.
Arts and culture are not just good for tourists. About half of all CATF patrons come from the surrounding area; the percentage is higher for the other, less mature festivals. It’s a triple convergence of a terrific arts setting, dedicated artists who want to live and work here, and a sizable, committed audience that lives here, in part, because of these attractions. Few things contribute to a strong economy like having a great place to live.
If you happen to see Dr. Shipley, Shepherd University’s new president out and about at any of these events, be sure to welcome her to Town. She takes up her new post just in time to enjoy July in Shepherdstown.