Corrie Sid was presented the Business of the Year award for Grove Station at last year's banquet. Pictured (from left): Noah Griggs, Sid, Logan Speers, Jerry Cunningham.

Chamber sets dates for events

By Michael Butler

The Tallassee Chamber of Commerce has lined up dates for functions in 2024. Notably, the annual awards banquet returns on March 14.

"One thing that we haven't done since 2020 is the full-fledged banquet," said Jerry Cunningham, executive director of the Chamber of Commerce. "We've secured the National Guard Armory. The reasons we haven't had it are because of Covid and the armory was being redone. We don't have any other place that is large enough to handle that."

The armory underwent renovations that were completed last year. It served as the banquet host after a run at the Hotel Talisi.

"The auction used to be in combination with the awards banquet," Cunningham continued, "but the auction is going to be on May 2. Last year that worked so well. We're going to do it at 1220 Warehouse. When you raise $10,000 for student scholarships, that's huge."

The Chamber's annual golf tournament will be on March 25 at Wynlakes in Montgomery.

Trade Day at City Hall last year. The event will relocate to the downtown district in 2024. Photos by Kyle Thornton

With the finish line near on the downtown streetscape project, Cunningham plans a spring event to showcase the upgrades.

"We want to do something in April," he said. "We feel like downtown should be done by then. We haven't nailed down what we're going to do."

Summerfest is slated to return to the grounds of City Hall in late June.

"The Summerfest works well across the river. Trying to bring an event downtown would be so hot. Trade Day (is) the third Saturday in October. We want it to return downtown. Hopes are to have two events downtown and two at City Hall during the year."

That second event at City Hall would be the year-end holiday market in conjunction with the Christmas parade the first weekend in December.

"We still have the Arbor Day activities," Cunningham added. "Basically we have something every month now."