Hot Springs Chamber of Commerce takes stock of events
HOT SPRINGS- The Hot Springs Chamber of Commerce monthly meeting took place at Fergie’s Pub on Tuesday to discuss previous and future events in the community. Five members of the committee took turns talking about what worked in the past and what needed to be done concerning upcoming events to increase the likelihood of success.
After reviewing minutes from the previous meeting and hearing the report on the chamber’s finances, the effectiveness of past events was the topic of discussion.
The report on Homesteader Days was overwhelmingly positive. Input from the community and vendors were deemed to be favorable. The rodeo was singled out as an especially successful event attended by several hundred spectators.
The new addition of the car show was also deemed a huge success for the event. The car show was well attended and according to Leslee Smith, President of the Chamber of Commerce, the event will be even bigger next year.
“The car show is going to grow next year. One of the car clubs who had a representative there said their whole group would attend next year,” said Smith. “Overall Homesteader Days went very well. People in the community were very pleased with how it went.”
Next on the agenda was a discussion about the Fourth of July festivities. The Symes Hotel hosted a fireworks show for the community. Smith said attendance was slower than previous years possibly due to the hot weather and other events taking place in the area.
The Sanders County Yard Sale was the following topic up for review. Members discussed the possibility of changing the date to encourage greater community participation.
The meeting then transitioned to discussion about future events including the Sanders County Fair. The changes to policies regarding concessions at the fair and how revenue is handled was deemed worthy of further review at a later date.
The group of women from Sanders County known as “Cowgirls Kickin’ Cancer” was next on the agenda.
The group raises money for cancer patients, preventative screenings and treatments. The group will be hosting the “Chicks n’ Chaps” fundraiser and rodeo clinic in Plains on August 30.
Two upcoming events including the Montana Herb Gathering and a summer arts camp were next on the agenda. Both events will take place this weekend in Hot Springs. According to the website, the Montana Herb Gathering is an annual event designed to teach and raise awareness about medicinal plants. The Missoula Children’s Theatre will participate in the arts camp.
The blues festival at the Symes Hotel was expected to draw a good crowd over the past weekend. Multiple bands performed a variety of blues influenced styles on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Smith said the turnout on Saturday was around 150 people.
The meeting concluded with a brief conversation about the local history museum that still needs volunteers to operate on the weekends and the latest city council meeting. The city council recently discussed the need to work on sewer infrastructure in Hot Springs.
The Hot Springs Chamber of Commerce meets monthly to discuss issues surrounding community development and improvement. According to the website, the “primary purpose of the Chamber is to be the voice of business and to reflect the feelings and the needs of the residential community.”