In a month, one of Washington’s signature festivals returns for its 21^st year, bringing visitors and their money to the city and Beaufort County.

There is no doubt the annual East Carolina Wildlife Arts Festival and N.C. Decoy Carving Championships have a noticeable affect on the local economy. Just ask the owners of area hotels, beds and breakfasts and restaurants. And the money that comes in during the three-day festival comes during a slow time for sales for many area businesses.

Downtown restaurants add extra staff during the festival to accommodate the increased customer traffic caused by the festival. The city and the East Carolina Wildfowl Guild put on the festival events, spending money with area businesses each year.

In 2006, a study estimated expenditures at the 2006 festival by visitors, competitors, exhibitors and the public at $163,000. With the festival growing since 2006, those expenditures have grown with the festival, with some tourism officials indicating that impact is now around the $300,000 range, if not higher.

The city and county receive revenue generated by sales taxes, and the city receives money from its occupancy tax. Most of that money goes to the Washington Tourism Development Authority, which spends it on ways to bring more tourists to the city.

As important as that economic impact is, the festival also is important because it helps educate people, especially children, about the area’s wildlife and the importance of protecting and preserving that wildlife. The festival showcases the area’s heritage of decoy carving, wildlife artistry and, yes, hunting. No doubt the festival inspires, but it also educates. That alone is worth the price of admission to the festival.

The festival displays some of the finest work by some of the world’s finest wildlife artists and decoy carvers. Their artwork helps tell the story of swan, brants, Canada geese, golden retrievers and other wildlife. And if that artwork inspires people to help protect wildlife and wildlife habitat, so much the better for that wildlife.

A festival that helps the area’s economy and educates people about wildlife deserves the community’s support. Show that support during the festival, set for Feb. 5-7 in downtown Washington.