Latest news with #HomeTown
Axios
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Axios
My visit to Sebring, Florida after HGTV's "Home Town Takeover"
I arrived in Sebring on a Tuesday afternoon, on a pilgrimage I didn't realize I was part of until I started chatting with the other folks wandering around the muraled walls and historic buildings of the city's downtown. Why it matters: We were here for the same reason: to experience what it's like after HGTV unleashes its feel-good renovation machine on an entire town. The big picture: Also known as "The City on the Circle" for the round park anchoring its downtown district, Sebring, about 80 miles east of Bradenton, starred in season 3 of " Home Town Takeover," which premiered in March. The show is hosted by Ben and Erin Napier, whose work restoring historic homes in their hometown of Laurel, Mississippi, landed them a show on HGTV. "Home Town" took off, and a decor line, book deals and spinoffs ensued. The premise of "Home Town Takeover" is to transform a struggling small town into a destination by revamping businesses, homes and community spaces. State of play: Sebring, nestled among farms and orange groves at least 90 minutes from any major metro area, is known for its international raceway and the annual soda festival that began in 2018. But since U.S. 27 began siphoning drivers away from the town's historic downtown, the district dwindled from 22 businesses in the 1960s to 11 last year, the Napiers and various community leaders explain in episode 1. Zoom in: On my weekday visit, The Circle appeared an afterthought no more. A line spilled out the door at Sophie's Cafe, a local Cuban restaurant featured in the show that opened its second location in a historic former church with the mix of old charm and modern touches the Napiers are famous for. A steady stream of patrons stopped for root beer (or, in my case, cream soda) floats at Sebring Soda & Ice Cream Works, which in the season premiere underwent a makeover from drab tans and browns to pastels and stripes that make it feel like a vintage drugstore. And at any given time, a dozen people milled around Circle Park, actually using the cornhole boards, ping pong table, gazebo and tables added to the lawn over the course of the show. What they're saying:"It's been a steady flow of people from all over the country and even outside the country," Nancy Lombardo, owner of antique and souvenir shop Pieces of the Past, told me. After struggling with a lack of foot traffic for years, she reopened the day before the show's March 9 premiere. Her Sebring-branded mugs, magnets and more have been flying off the shelves, she said. I was honestly surprised by the amount of activity for a random weekday afternoon — but I shouldn't have been. It's in line with the tourism booms experienced by the communities featured in the first two seasons of the show. Yes, but: Is it sustainable? Walking among the cardboard cutouts of the Napiers and the "Welcome to Sebring, HGTV fans!" signs, it was hard to decouple the city from the HGTV-ification of it all. Maybe that's the point. I considered this over a beer at Faded Bistro & Beer Garden, a restaurant nestled in a lush tropical courtyard a few blocks off the "Home Town" buzz on The Circle. It opened in 2017 and this year got its own taste of national recognition with a USA TODAY award for No. 5 best beer garden in the country. The bottom line: Sebring isn't on your way to somewhere. It is somewhere — whether the cameras are there or not. If you go: Here are more spots to check out. Food and drink 🍻 Try local brews, spirits and burgers at the 301. ☕ Get your caffeine fix at Sweetwater Coffee Company. 🍳 Indulge in a home-cooked breakfast at Dee's Place. 🥪 Stop for sandwiches at Mae Lee's Deli. 🍕 Grab a slice at Dimitri's. 🧁 You deserve a treat at Sugar Blossoms. Shopping 🛋️ Peruse vintage furniture, home decor and more at the Habitat ReStore. 🃏 Tap into your inner game nerd at Dino's Cards and Collectibles. 📚 Find your next favorite read at Linda's Books. 💎 Shop or take a crafting workshop at the Grateful Hearts Boutique. Activities 🏖️ Have a freshwater beach day at Lake Jackson. 🍿 Catch a movie or show at the Circle Theatre.
Fox News
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Fox News
The Quiz #391 - Green Grass Grow Gracefully
Feeling tongue tied? Take The Quiz. Play. Share. Listen with the star of HGTV's Home Town, Erin Napier.
Los Angeles Times
26-04-2025
- Business
- Los Angeles Times
Canadians put off by Trump's bluster and border arrests are booking far fewer U.S. visits
VANCOUVER — Diana and Rick Bellamy initially planned to take a Caribbean cruise out of Houston before heading to Laurel, Miss., to visit the home of one of their favorite HGTV shows, 'Home Town.' The Calgary couple scrapped those plans and vacationed last month along Mexico's Pacific coast instead, put off by U.S. President Donald Trump's trade war with Canada, the insults he has hurled at their homeland, and stories about American border agents searching people's phones and detaining foreigners for minor reasons. Diana Bellamy found it ironic that she felt more comfortable traveling to Mexico than the U.S. 'I never thought I would hear myself say that,' she said. Trump's attacks on Canada's economy and threats to make it the 51st state have infuriated Canadians, who are canceling trips to the U.S. in big numbers. They also seem to have also flipped the narrative heading into Canada's parliamentary elections on Monday, with Prime Minister Mark Carney's Liberal Party surging after trailing by far in the polls just a few months ago. The U.S. gets more visitors from Canada each year than from any other country, according to the U.S. Travel Assn., an industry trade group, which said the 20.4 million visits from Canada last year generated $20.5 billion in spending. But there has been a big drop in foreigners traveling to the U.S. since Trump took office, and Canadians are no exception. There were more than 910,000 fewer land border crossings from Canada into the U.S. last month than in March 2024 — a more than 22% drop — according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection data. An Air Canada spokesman, meanwhile, said Canada-U.S. flight bookings for April through September are down about 10%. Trump brushed aside the decline in tourism to the United States on Wednesday, saying, 'There's a little nationalism there I guess, perhaps. It's not a big deal.' Since Trump started his second term, there have been well-publicized reports of tourists being stopped at U.S. border crossings and held for weeks at immigration detention facilities before being allowed to fly home at their own expense. On March 3, Canadian Jasmine Mooney, an actor and entrepreneur on a U.S. work visa, was detained by U.S. border agents in San Diego. She was released after 12 days of detention. Before Mooney's release, British Columbia Premier David Eby expressed concern, saying: 'It certainly reinforces anxiety that ... many Canadians have about our relationship with the U.S. right now, and the unpredictability of this administration and its actions.' The Canadian Assn. of University Teachers, which represents faculty and staff at Canadian universities, warned its members against nonessential travel to the U.S. due to the 'political landscape' under Trump and reports of Canadians encountering difficulties crossing the border. Academics who have expressed negative views about the Trump administration should be particularly cautious about traveling to the U.S., the group said. 'People are scared to cross the border. I don't know what Americans are thinking, quite frankly. Are they that oblivious?' said former Quebec Premier Jean Charest, who has family in Florida. Mike Sauer, who runs a community policing center in Vancouver, said he and his partner have no interest in traveling to the U.S. now because of Trump's politics and border fears. One of Sauer's concerns is that if a border guard were to check his cellphone, the guard might see his past purchases of marijuana, which is legal to buy in Canada and about half the 50 states but is still illegal under U.S. federal law. 'The States have a different view on drugs. They could certainly look at my phone and see I'm 420-friendly,' he said, meaning he's marijuana-friendly. 'I think it kind of depends on which border guard would have a problem with that and which ones wouldn't.' Dietra Wilson, 32, said that when she was younger, she often visited Detroit, which is just across the border from Windsor, Ontario, where she and her husband, Ben, own a secondhand shop. She hasn't visited much in recent years, though, and she said she has heard of people's worries about crossing the border since Trump moved back into the White House. 'It's worrisome,' she said. Ben Wilson, 37, also has qualms about trying to cross. 'Why would I want to?' he said. 'Regardless of the tariffs, if I'm going to be stopped at the border for my phone or something somebody texted me, why go?' The drop in Canadian tourism to the U.S. led California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a frequent target of Trump, to announce an ad campaign this month meant to lure Canadians back to his state, citing a 12% year-on-year drop in February. McKenzie McMillan, a consultant with a Vancouver-based travel agency, the Travel Group, said the company's bookings to the U.S. have dried up. 'We have seen a near-total collapse of U.S. business,' he said. 'Probably about a 90% drop since February.' Lesley Keyter, the chief executive and founder of the Travel Lady agency in Calgary, said she has seen people forfeit money to cancel their U.S. trips. 'Even if they're going on a Caribbean cruise, they don't want to go down to Fort Lauderdale to get on the cruise ship,' she said. Gillies and Morris write for the Associated Press. Gillies reported from Toronto. AP reporter Corey Williams in Windsor, Ontario, contributed to this report.
Yomiuri Shimbun
26-04-2025
- Politics
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Canadians Put off by Trump's Bluster and Border Arrests Are Booking Far Fewer US Visits
AP File Photo American and Canadian flags fly near the Palace Playland amusement park, Wednesday, April 2, 2025, in Old Orchard Beach, Maine, a summer seaside resort town popular with French-Canadian tourists. VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Diana and Rick Bellamy initially planned to take a Caribbean cruise out of Houston before heading to Laurel, Mississippi, to visit the home of one of their favorite HGTV shows, 'Home Town.' The Calgary couple scrapped those plans and vacationed last month along Mexico's Pacific coast instead, put off by U.S. President Donald Trump's trade war with Canada, the insults he's hurled at their homeland, and stories about American border agents searching people's phones and detaining foreigners for minor reasons. She found it ironic that she felt more comfortable traveling to Mexico than the U.S. 'I never thought I would hear myself say that,' Diane Bellamy said. Trump's attacks on Canada's economy and threats to make it the 51st state have infuriated Canadians, who are canceling trips to the U.S. in big numbers. They also seem to have also flipped the narrative heading into Canada's parliamentary elections on Monday, with Prime Minister Mark Carney's Liberal Party surging after trailing far behind in the polls just a few months ago. A steep decline The U.S. gets more visitors from Canada each year than from any other country, according to the U.S. Travel Association, an industry trade group, which said the 20.4 million visits from Canada last year generated $20.5 billion in spending. But there has been a big drop in foreigners traveling to the U.S. since Trump took office, and Canadians are no exception. There were more than 910,000 fewer land border crossings from Canada into the U.S. last month than in March of 2024 — a more than 22% drop — according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection data. An Air Canada spokesman, meanwhile, said Canada-U.S. flight bookings for April through September are down about 10%. Trump brushed aside the decline in tourism to the United States on Wednesday, saying, 'There's a little nationalism there I guess, perhaps. It's not a big deal.' Traveler worries Since Trump started his second term, there have been well-publicized reports of tourists being stopped at U.S. border crossings and held for weeks at immigration detention facilities before being allowed to fly home at their own expense. On March 3, Canadian Jasmine Mooney, an actor and entrepreneur on a U.S. work visa, was detained by U.S. border agents in San Diego. She was released after 12 days detention. Before Mooney's release, British Columbia Premier David Eby expressed concern, saying: 'It certainly reinforces anxiety that … many Canadians have about our relationship with the U.S. right now, and the unpredictability of this administration and its actions.' The Canadian Association of University Teachers, which represents faculty and staff at Canadian universities, warned its members against nonessential travel to the U.S. due to the 'political landscape' under Trump and reports of Canadians encountering difficulties crossing the border. Academics who have expressed negative views about the Trump administration should be particularly cautious about traveling to the U.S., said the group. 'People are scared to cross the border. I don't know what Americans are thinking, quite frankly. Are they that oblivious?' said former Quebec Premier Jean Charest, who has family in Florida. Mike Sauer, who runs a community policing center in Vancouver, said he and his partner have no interest in traveling to the U.S. now because of Trump's politics and border fears. One of Sauer's concerns is that if a border guard were to check his cellphone, the guard might see his past purchases of marijuana, which is legal to buy in Canada and about half the 50 states but is still illegal under U.S. federal law. 'The States have a different view on drugs. They could certainly look at my phone and see I'm 420-friendly,' he said, meaning he's marijuana-friendly. 'I think it kind of depends on which border guard would have a problem with that and which ones wouldn't.' Dietra Wilson, 32, said when she was younger, she often visited Detroit, which is just across the border from Windsor, Ontario, where she and her husband, Ben, own a secondhand shop. She hasn't visited much in recent years, though, and she said she's heard of people's worries about crossing the border since Trump moved back into the White House. 'It's worrisome,' she said. Ben Wilson, 37, also has qualms about trying to cross. 'Why would I want to?' he said. 'Regardless of the tariffs, if I'm going to be stopped at the border for my phone or something somebody texted me, why go?' Industry worries The drop in Canadian tourism to the U.S. led California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a frequent target of Trump, to announce an ad campaign this month meant to lure Canadians back to his state, citing a 12% year-on-year drop in February. McKenzie McMillan, a consultant with a Vancouver-based travel agency, The Travel Group, said the company's bookings to the U.S. have dried up. 'We have seen a near-total collapse of U.S. business,' he said. 'Probably about a 90% drop since February.' Lesley Keyter, the CEO and founder of the Travel Lady agency in Calgary, said she's seen people actually forfeit money to cancel their U.S. trips. 'Even if they're going on a Caribbean cruise, they don't want to go down to Fort Lauderdale to get on the cruise ship,' she said.
Chicago Tribune
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Canadians put off by Trump's bluster and border arrests are booking far fewer US visits
Diana and Rick Bellamy initially planned to take a Caribbean cruise out of Houston before heading to Laurel, Mississippi, to visit the home of one of their favorite HGTV shows, 'Home Town.' The Calgary couple scrapped those plans and vacationed last month along Mexico's Pacific coast instead, put off by U.S. President Donald Trump's trade war with Canada, the insults he's hurled at their homeland, and stories about American border agents searching people's phones and detaining foreigners for minor reasons. She found it ironic that she felt more comfortable traveling to Mexico than the U.S. 'I never thought I would hear myself say that,' Diane Bellamy said. Trump's attacks on Canada's economy and threats to make it the 51st state have infuriated Canadians, who are canceling trips to the U.S. in big numbers. They also seem to have also flipped the narrative heading into Canada's parliamentary elections on Monday, with Prime Minister Mark Carney's Liberal Party surging after trailing far behind in the polls just a few months ago. A steep decline The U.S. gets more visitors from Canada each year than from any other country, according to the U.S. Travel Association, an industry trade group, which said the 20.4 million visits from Canada last year generated $20.5 billion in spending. But there has been a big drop in foreigners traveling to the U.S. since Trump took office, and Canadians are no exception. There were more than 910,000 fewer land border crossings from Canada into the U.S. last month than in March of 2024 — a more than 22% drop — according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection data. An Air Canada spokesman, meanwhile, said Canada-U.S. flight bookings for April through September are down about 10%. Trump brushed aside the decline in tourism to the United States on Wednesday, saying, 'There's a little nationalism there I guess, perhaps. It's not a big deal.' Traveler worries Since Trump started his second term, there have been well-publicized reports of tourists being stopped at U.S. border crossings and held for weeks at immigration detention facilities before being allowed to fly home at their own expense. On March 3, Canadian Jasmine Mooney, an actor and entrepreneur on a U.S. work visa, was detained by U.S. border agents in San Diego. She was released after 12 days detention. Before Mooney's release, British Columbia Premier David Eby expressed concern, saying: 'It certainly reinforces anxiety that … many Canadians have about our relationship with the U.S. right now, and the unpredictability of this administration and its actions.' The Canadian Association of University Teachers, which represents faculty and staff at Canadian universities, warned its members against nonessential travel to the U.S. due to the 'political landscape' under Trump and reports of Canadians encountering difficulties crossing the border. Academics who have expressed negative views about the Trump administration should be particularly cautious about traveling to the U.S., said the group. 'People are scared to cross the border. I don't know what Americans are thinking, quite frankly. Are they that oblivious?' said former Quebec Premier Jean Charest, who has family in Florida. Mike Sauer, who runs a community policing center in Vancouver, said he and his partner have no interest in traveling to the U.S. now because of Trump's politics and border fears. One of Sauer's concerns is that if a border guard were to check his cellphone, the guard might see his past purchases of marijuana, which is legal to buy in Canada and about half the 50 states but is still illegal under U.S. federal law. 'The States have a different view on drugs. They could certainly look at my phone and see I'm 420-friendly,' he said, meaning he's marijuana-friendly. 'I think it kind of depends on which border guard would have a problem with that and which ones wouldn't.' Dietra Wilson, 32, said when she was younger, she often visited Detroit, which is just across the border from Windsor, Ontario, where she and her husband, Ben, own a secondhand shop. She hasn't visited much in recent years, though, and she said she's heard of people's worries about crossing the border since Trump moved back into the White House. 'It's worrisome,' she said. Ben Wilson, 37, also has qualms about trying to cross. 'Why would I want to?' he said. 'Regardless of the tariffs, if I'm going to be stopped at the border for my phone or something somebody texted me, why go?' Industry worries The drop in Canadian tourism to the U.S. led California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a frequent target of Trump, to announce an ad campaign this month meant to lure Canadians back to his state, citing a 12% year-on-year drop in February. McKenzie McMillan, a consultant with a Vancouver-based travel agency, The Travel Group, said the company's bookings to the U.S. have dried up. 'We have seen a near-total collapse of U.S. business,' he said. 'Probably about a 90% drop since February.' Lesley Keyter, the CEO and founder of the Travel Lady agency in Calgary, said she's seen people actually forfeit money to cancel their U.S. trips. 'Even if they're going on a Caribbean cruise, they don't want to go down to Fort Lauderdale to get on the cruise ship,' she said.
