about New era

NEW E.R.A. is a brain storm of several people who have been speaking their minds to revitalize our town.  Elberta was once a thriving town with a hotel, movie theater, meat processing and storage (locker plant), just to name a few things,  where everyone was on a first name basis.

Now it is time for the NEW generation of residents who need to step up and put our town back on the map for more than just the Sausage Festival twice a year.  It is high time we, the residents, embrace visitors who will spend money in our stores, visit our museum, stop by our farmers markets, and go back to their home towns and tell their neighbors, friends, and families…”you have got to go visit Elberta, what a great place!!”

You hear people from outside our “area” talk about Gulf Shores, Orange Beach, Foley, Fairhope, Daphne, and other areas surrounding our Elberta.  Why not make them add us into their “must go” places or bucket lists? 

On a daily basis I talk to people from Pensacola, Milton and when I tell them we are located in Elberta, there is a long pause, followed usually by, “How far away is Elberta from Pensacola?” I might have as well said we are located on the moon.  When I explain how close we actually are, they have never heard of Elberta.  I am sure you have had mail come to you addressed to Alberta, and when I tell people Alberta is in Canada, or Alberta is not the same town, we are Elberta, again…long silent pause…we need to market our community, our people, our way of life.

It is high time we show the pride once known in our town and shine.  It is up to us, the next generation, and those generations to follow us to make this town a community, not just a throughway for those passing down 98 on their way to those other places.

Please join us to start the ball rolling to organize events to bring people to our town and lets show them that small town America is still alive, and thriving. 

It just takes a couple of really good ideas to bring businesses into Elberta, not to compete with the ones already in place, but to add to and compliment those here.  Along with growing our town’s economic future, we also need to grow our town’s reputation of being a “IN” place.  Parades,  festivals, street parties, and the like will draw guests to Elberta and put us on the map.

Who’s in?  Please check back as we progress with ideas for a meeting to get to know each other, our neighbors, and start the New (Generation) Elberta Revitalization Association – NEW E.R.A. – and make Elberta stand out like a diamond she once was.