Lewisburg, W.Va., named 'coolest small town'

LEWISBURG, W.Va. — A travel magazine has named Lewisburg its Coolest Small Town.

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Budget Travel says that Lewisburg came in first in online voting, which closed Friday, for the designation. The town of nearly 3,500 people finished more than 11,000 votes ahead of Astoria, Ore. More than 437,000 total votes were cast for 20 towns across the nation.

Related: America's coolest small towns

The Greenbrier County Convention & Visitors Bureau and local officials led an effort to get out the vote, which they hope ultimately will translate into an infusion of visitors and dollars.

As the winner of the "Coolest Small Town" title, Lewisburg will be featured with Astoria and the other top vote-getters in Budget Travel's September issue.

The town's annual chocolate festival, its proximity to beautiful mountains, and its own Carnegie Hall were some of the highlights cited by Lewisburg's supporters.

"It's been really great to see how it brought everyone in the county together," bureau exective director Kara Dense told The Register-Herald. "Everyone says this is a great thing. There's a lot of West Virginia pride wrapped up in it."

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Mayor John Manchester thanked Lewisburg supporters, and also noted that the Coolest Town designation is a victory for the state.

Clayton, N.Y.; Eureka Springs, Ark.; and LaPointe, Wis., respectively, rounded out the top five vote-getters.