While our mild winter has been nice to avoid frigid temperatures and snow-covered roads, seasons like this year create a real challenge for businesses who rely on winter weather for sports or traffic, including the Chamber’s own Mayville Winter Festival. It’s clear at the moment that the weather is not fully cooperating for an ice castle, nevertheless the annual Mayville Winter Festival will go on as planned over President’s Day Weekend with many exciting offerings.

This outstanding annual event is planned and executed each year by dozens of local volunteers, working with our Mayville-Chautauqua Community Chamber Committee. These hardworking people set a schedule of events, plan the logistics, work with vendors and sponsors, and then staff all the facilities and programs during the festival. It’s a lot of work, and they do an amazing job!

Even without a great base of snow on the ground, the festival will include a wide variety of vendors including food trucks, warming fires dotted throughout Lakeside Park, a cold water rescue demonstration, a pet parade, a children’s area with games and face painting, a chili cookoff, a beer and wine tent, a volleyball tournament and 5K run on Sunday, and a fireworks display Saturday night at 8pm. There will be a lot to see and do.

In past years an ice castle or snow castle has been one of the centerpieces of the festival. This year, even if the weather precludes that construction, the Mayville-Chautauqua Community Chamber Committee has a stand-in. They have had a wooden castle constructed as a standing parade float, and the wooden castle will be lit Friday night at the beginning of the event.

We hope you will attend the festival this coming weekend in Mayville and support the numerous volunteers who make this possible every year. They have been working since August to make this a reality, and the weather will not stand in their way.

For the full schedule, you can see the event listing on our website calendar at www.chautauquachamber.org or follow the Mayville Winter Festival on Facebook.

JAMESTOWN COMMUNITY CHAMBER PRESENTS SALUTE TO THE FINEST FEBRUARY 27

Each year the Jamestown Community Chamber of Commerce presents Salute to the Finest – an annual recognition of some of the local businesses, individuals, and organizations that make a difference in the community. This year, Salute to the Finest will be held February 27, with a wide variety of awards to be presented.

Seven awards will be presented this year as follows: New Business of the Year – Southern Sails Junk Removal; Restaurant of the Year – Tim Hortons of Jamestown & Olean; Retailer of the Year – Everyday’s True Value; Service to Humanity Award – Patrick Smeraldo; Legacy Award – The Post-Journal; Pride of Jamestown Award – Chuck DeAngelo; and Business of the Year – D & S Glass Service.

Salute to the Finest will be held at Northwest Arena, 319 West Third Street, from 5-8pm, Monday, February 27. The evening will include appetizers and a cash bar. It will begin with a cocktail hour, followed by the award presentations beginning at 6pm. The cost is $27 per person and advanced registration is requested by February 21. Attendees can sign up through the Chamber web calendar at www.chautauquachamber.org. The 2023 Salute to the Finest is proudly sponsored by Elegant Edibles Catering and Northwest Arena.

Congratulations to all the award recipients this year! We encourage the community to attend in support of this outstanding group of people and organizations.

BUSINESS AFTER HOURS AT THE GREEN DOOR TAVERN

MARCH 16

The Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce will hold its first Business After Hours event for 2023 on Thursday, March 16 at The Green Door Tavern, Route 430, Bemus Point. Business After Hours is a Chamber networking event that runs from 5-6:30pm. It’s designed to let local businesspeople meet in a comfortable setting, enjoy some appetizers and a cash bar, and provide a little information about their business or organization.

Each Chamber member business can send two people at no cost to each Business After Hours. Any employees above the two-person limit, or non-members, are welcome at $10 each. Advanced registration is not required, but is requested for our planning purposes. You can sign up now through the Chamber’s web calendar at www.chautauquachamber.org.

This Business After Hours event is sponsored by The Green Door Tavern, Media One Radio Group, The Post-Journal, and OBSERVER. Additional Business After Hours events will be announced throughout the year.

CHAMBER STATE LEGISLATIVE BREAKFAST IS

APRIL 28

The Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce has scheduled its annual State Legislative Breakfast for Friday, April 28 at Chautauqua Suites in Mayville. State Senator George Borrello and Assemblyman Andrew Goodell will be our guests for a discussion session with moderator John D’Agostino from the Observer. We urge you to come prepared with questions for our state elected representatives.

Advanced registration is required and is open now on the Chamber’s web calendar at www.chautauquachamber.org. This event is sponsored by Chautauqua Suites Meeting & Expo Center, Media One Radio Group, OBSERVER, The Post-Journal, and the Small Business Development Center.

Check-in will begin at 8:00am with a buffet breakfast prepared, and the program will begin promptly at 8:30am. We ask that all attendees visit the buffet line before the program begins. The price is $22 for Chamber members or $26 for non-members.