Viva Fall River Faces Pause As Patti Rego Steps Down After Five Years Of Tourism Leadership

Published on September 7, 2025

Viva Fall River, nan city’s volunteer-driven tourism and business promotion team, has been placed on pause pursuing nan completion of its assistance funding. Now, aft 5 energetic years of showcasing nan Fall River Waterfront, orchestrating festivals, and rallying down entrepreneurs, nan squad will concisely suspend its regular agenda. Patti Rego, nan Executive Director who championed visionary campaigns since October 2019, will reason her duties astatine nan month’s extremity to judge a caller situation pinch a location non-profit. Rego’s adjacent section does not, however, awesome nan closing curtain connected Fall River’s tourism ambitions; instead, nan roadmap; Rego has authored endures, offering guidance, enthusiasm, and goodwill to each organizer who follows successful her footsteps.

Viva Fall River’s Role successful Promoting Local Tourism

Founded pinch support from nan state’s MassDevelopment initiative, Viva Fall River played an instrumental domiciled successful revitalising nan section tourism scene. Its ngo was not only to pull visitors but to foster a consciousness of organization pridefulness and involvement. Under Rego’s leadership, nan organisation orchestrated respective high-profile events, including waterfront concerts, nutrient motortruck festivals, quality walks, and taste gatherings, each of which helped beforehand Fall River arsenic a move tourism destination.

The group’s efforts contributed to nan city’s increasing appeal, particularly pinch visitors looking for much affordable and unsocial recreation experiences. Events specified arsenic nan We HeART Fall River Festival, on pinch various markets, trolley tours, and nationalist creation installations, highlighted nan taste richness of Fall River while besides driving section business growth. Rego’s enthusiasm for nan metropolis was evident successful her work, pinch vibrant murals, section shaper sales, and moreover a visitor’s centre trading Fall River-themed merchandise, each reflecting her imagination for a much connected and engaged community.

Challenges and nan End of Grant Funding

Despite nan occurrence of these initiatives, nan group faced challenges arsenic its superior authorities backing gradually dwindled. While different sources of income were explored, nan simplification successful assistance money from nan state’s Transformative District Initiative has led to nan existent region successful operations. Rego revealed that backing would nary longer support nan group, arsenic nan authorities has shifted its priorities wrong nan tourism sector.

The group’s visitors’ centre, which has been a cornerstone of section tourism promotion, will adjacent connected September 30, 2025. Without capable resources to continue, nan group’s operations will participate a dormant phase. However, Rego remains hopeful that nan affirmative organization tone she helped foster will persist. She continues to promote section residents and businesses to support nan consciousness of unity that Viva Fall River instilled, moreover without financial backing.

Continuing nan Movement Beyond nan Group

Rego has ever viewed Viva Fall River arsenic much than conscionable an organisation, it was a activity to observe and revitalise Fall River’s organization spirit. Despite nan financial challenges, she powerfully believes that nan momentum built complete nan past fewer years will proceed to animate section residents. Rego has spoken astir her volition for Viva to unrecorded on, moreover if nan charismatic organisation goes dormant for now.

She emphasised that nan community-based approach to tourism, wherever section businesses and residents are progressive successful nan promotion of Fall River, should not dangle connected outer funding. The organization spirit, she believes, is nan cardinal to keeping nan activity live and flourishing successful nan future.

A New Chapter for Patti Rego and Fall River

While Viva Fall River whitethorn beryllium paused for nan clip being, Rego’s passion for nan metropolis continues done her caller domiciled astatine nan SouthCoast Community Foundation. As organization engagement and communications lead, she intends to support broader location improvement efforts, further championing nan causes that she believes in.

Her activity pinch Viva Fall River will stay an inspiration for early initiatives successful nan city, peculiarly successful position of community-driven tourism and section business promotion. Though Rego steps down from her domiciled astatine Viva, she remains dedicated to supporting Fall River’s maturation and prosperity, whether done tourism aliases organization development.

What’s Next for Fall River Tourism?

The early of Fall River’s tourism remains bright, moreover arsenic nan Viva Fall River group enters a dormant phase. As Rego steps into a caller chapter, she leaves down a bequest of organization involvement, section business support, and tourism promotion. The tone of Viva Fall River is group to proceed done nan efforts of residents, business owners, and early leaders, ensuring that nan city’s tourism imaginable remains untapped.

Fall River mightiness beryllium astatine a turning point, yet its lively civilization and devoted residents will support propelling visitors to nan city. As Rego puts it, nan activity isn’t over; it’s only resting, fresh to outpouring to life erstwhile nan adjacent surge of productivity comes from nan folks who cherish nan metropolis nan deepest.