Orange County, N.Y., Tourism Rebrands, Urging All to ‘Pick OCNY’ With New Slogan, Logo – and the Friendly Mascot ‘Hudson’

June 14, 2024 at 10:39 am

New Campaigns Will Spotlight Endless Reasons to Visit: Events, Family Fun, Farm-Fresh Foods, Entertainment and Cultural Touchstones, All Just One Hour from NYC

ORANGE COUNTY, N.Y. (June 13, 2024) – Orange County Tourism & Film unveiled its fresh new branding today, with an eye-catching apple-themed logo, the upbeat slogan, “Pick Orange County” – and even a new mascot, Hudson.

In keeping with the new slogan, the tourism website’s address is now pickocny.org.

“Tourism is vital to Orange County, N.Y.’s economy, and Orange County is a terrific Tourism destination. The County offers adventure, family fun, farm-fresh goodness, rich history, a thriving craft beverage scene and spectacular views and vistas, all just 50 miles from New York City,” said Orange County Executive Steven M. Neuhaus. “Our new tourism branding brings a lively dynamic that will reflect these qualities on the County’s tourism website, social media, travel guide, ads and many other platforms.”

Amanda Dana, Director of Orange County Tourism & Film, added, “Our diverse attractions and destinations are among the many reasons to love Orange County, which is why we welcome visitors from New York City and around the region, nation and world. The new logo, slogan and mascot make a great introduction for people to see why they should Pick Orange County!” 

Neuhaus and Dana were joined by travel expert Josiah Brown, known as “The New York Sherpa,” who is a national expert on tourism. They unveiled the new logo in a ceremony at the Orange County Tourism & Film Welcome Center, 99 Main St., Goshen.

The new branding introduces an eye-catching logo that features an illustration of a red apple with “Pick” written on a green leaf and “OCNY” in the body of the iconic fruit. The logo conveys a fun, laid-back atmosphere, while maintaining a mature and confident appearance. It calls to mind the many orchards and farms where visitors pick their own apples and other produce, and also entices visitors to Orange County’s traditional bucolic settings, diverse family-friendly activities, arts and envelope-pushing cultural touchstones.

The spirit of the region is also captured in the new Orange County Tourism tagline: “The Fresh State of Mind.”

The star of the unveiling was the mascot, Hudson, a friendly dog with large blue eyes and an orange “Pick OCNY” bandana. Hudson will help educate visitors about the endless rewards of a visit to Orange County, from discovering a hand-crafted gift in a quaint downtown to visiting some of the state’s most iconic destinations – including the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, the Storm King Art Center, LEGOLAND® New York Resort and Woodbury Common Premium Outlets.

“Hudson will be the loveable, friendly face you’ll find around the county,” Dana said. “Look for him to guide you in how best to enjoy everything Orange County has to offer.”

Tourism is a cornerstone of the county’s economy, attracting $1.1 billion in visitor spending in 2022 while supporting more than 11,000 jobs. That revenue saved Orange County property owners more than $1,000, on average, in annual state and local taxes.

“Tourism is a crucial component of Orange County, N.Y.’s charm and lifestyle,” Neuhaus said. “Visits to our attractions, restaurants and accommodations create jobs, significantly drive our county’s economic growth, and have helped us lower County taxes to rates not seen since the 1960s.”

The new campaigns will invite visitors to explore Orange County, which for New York City Metropolitan Area residents, is close enough for a day trip and jampacked with enough fun and fascinating activities for a weekend or mid-week stay. Orange County also is accessible via New Jersey Transit’s (Metro-North) Port Jervis Line and regional bus service.

In addition to its year-round and seasonal attractions, Orange County hosts widely renowned annual events such as the Pine Bush UFO Festival, the Great American Weekend in Goshen, the New York Renaissance Faire and the Warwick Applefest. Orange County Airport is one of six locations across the country where the New York Airshow wows audiences.

Attendees at Orange County’s rebranding ceremony sampled some of the county’s most iconic offerings. They sipped apple cider and munched on tasty cider doughnuts, a regional specialty from Soons Orchards. They also enjoyed maple syrup from Finding Home Farms and gelato from the Ice Capps food truck.

“Even though I’m nearing 1,000,000 miles driven on the road across New York State and America, Orange County is still where my heart is,” said Brown, the tourism expert. “The vibrant communities that make up Orange County are not by mistake, but the product of leaders fostering and preserving the quality of life here. The visitor economy here has been built and stewarded with intentionality which has created a quality-of-place that so many residents enjoy year-round. The measure of success for the future of every county will be their ability to create, herald and steward a positive brand impression in the minds of future and current residents, businesses, and investors. I’m so excited to see this rebranding process take place here and confident it will keep Orange County, N.Y., leading into the future.”

Making the most of a visit continues to become easier with Orange County Tourism’s easy-to-use website, now at pickocny.org, which drew more than 1 million annual visits for the first time last year. That was a 23% increase over 2022. The site helps visitors to find the places and activities that entice them the most and to tailor their adventure for a richer, more rewarding and fresh-feeling visit.