Chamber banquet set for Thursday
by Danny Wade
As the popular song from the 1990s says, “There’s a party going on around here” is definitely true for Thursday evening. The Humboldt Chamber of Commerce annual membership banquet is back after COVID forced the cancelation in 2020.
The theme this year is BBQ, Banquet & Bingo.
This year’s banquet is taking a page out of 2016’s celebration and will be held on Main Street, literally on the street. Main St. will be closed off to traffic between 13th Ave. and 14 Ave. Tables and chairs will be lined down the middle of the road for a party in the street.
“There will be two lines of tables plus sponsor tables,” said chamber events coordinator, Beth Culpepper.
“We’re expecting 200 members and guests,” chamber executive director, Amanda Love added. “This year will be a laid back atmosphere—outdoor casual, shorts, jeans, casual dress are welcome.”
Social hour begins at 5:30 p.m. on September 30. Appetizers and drinks will be available in the Opera House and its courtyard. The popular local band, Blue Eyed Sun, will perform on Main St.
The banquet begins at 6:30 p.m. Gourmet Your Way, Sam’s BBQ and Bville SmokeHouse are providing the meal. 
Love said there would be no program so to speak, but instead a brief overview of the state of the chamber, followed by fun and games.
Culpepper said Bingo would be the game of choice with winners receiving Chamber Bucks. Chamber Bucks can be used just like cash at several businesses that belong to the Humboldt Chamber of Commerce. Culpepper said there will be several games to have multiple winners.
The 2019 chamber banquet was a big hit with the “game show” theme. Love and Culpepper hope to have the same amount of fun and excitement this year, especially since there was no banquet last year.
The annual membership banquet is the chamber’s biggest fundraiser of the year. Some might ask what does the chamber do for the city, businesses and members.
There are almost 300 businesses, industry, organizations and individuals that are members of the Humboldt Chamber of Commerce. Most of these are from Humboldt while others are from the surrounding cities, Gibson County and bordering counties.
According to their website, “The Chamber of Commerce is in the business of helping your business succeed. Whether it’s helping you find a location, promoting your business through ribbon cuttings and networking, or helping you improve your operation through consultation and training, we are here for you. We support our members first and we are advocates for anything that improves the business climate of this community. We accomplish this through our staff and the various committees of the board of directors, and we’re always willing to do whatever we can to help our members. The three major areas of emphasis are economic development, member development and quality of life.”
This year’s Humboldt Chamber of Commerce Membership Banquet will be an event you won’t want to miss. There will be fun and games, good food, good music, and most of all, good fellowship with friends and neighbors.
