Viewers’ Choice winners spotlight Sullivan County favorites and winter draws

The annual statewide Viewers’ Choice winners list for 2025, released Dec. 30, names popular local businesses and attractions across food, entertainment, services and outdoor categories that matter to Sullivan County residents. The list includes nearby winners such as Blackbeard’s Cove Adventure Golf in Claremont for mini golf; Lucas Roasting Co. in Lebanon for bagels, a frequent pick for Upper Valley and Sullivan County customers; Washburn’s Windy Hill Orchard in the Newport area for apple orchards; Toot Sweets Confectionery as a regional confectionery winner; and Swiftwater Way Station as a regional country store pick. Organizers also published a historical winners list going back to 2014, allowing comparisons across more than a decade.

For local business owners and municipal leaders, the timing is significant. The release coincides with the holiday and winter travel season when visitor flows can materially affect weekly revenues for retail and hospitality firms in the county. Visibility on a statewide list increases the likelihood of out-of-area visitors adding specific stops to itineraries, which can translate into direct spending on food, retail and seasonal activities. For example, small food and beverage vendors like Lucas Roasting Co. benefit from both repeat local customers and occasional day-trippers from the Upper Valley, while attractions such as Washburn’s Windy Hill Orchard can extend their operating season through special winter events or retail cider and gift sales.

The list also serves as an informal barometer of regional consumer preferences. Categories covering outdoors, entertainment and services reflect demand for experiential tourism and convenience retail that supports rural economies. That trend matters for local planning: increased visitor interest places a premium on parking availability, winter road maintenance, and staffing for small businesses that must cover holiday shifts. Chambers of commerce and town economic development offices can use the winners list to prioritize promotional efforts and to coordinate support for winners seeking to handle higher seasonal demand.

Longer term, repeated recognition across years—made visible by the historical data since 2014—can compound marketing benefits for businesses, turning one-time spikes into sustained reputation effects. For Sullivan County, leveraging these results means translating recognition into durable visitor patterns, improved capacity during peak seasons, and stronger local tax receipts from expanded sales activity. Residents will want to watch how winning businesses adjust operations this winter and whether municipalities and business groups seize the moment to channel increased interest into lasting economic gains.