Since the Spring Expo has faded away as a result of the virus, we have embraced a new outlet for business exposure at the Farmers Market that comes up each week during the summer beginning in May and running through September.
Chamber Members: keep an eye out for the schedule to come!!
Indeed, the Chamber has purchased 3 spots at the Farmers Market for the year. Each area of the space is approximately 10 feet by 10 feet, in a line of grassy area of the Village of Grass Lake Community Events Park, 120 Brown Street, in downtown Grass Lake. You'll need a 10' X 10' canopy with a small table and a couple of chairs. You may present your wares, programs and other tidbits from the booth area that you cover. Currently the Chamber will occupy one of those spaces while the other spaces are occupied, or "Open" based on the schedule below. The remaining spots are free and issued on a first come, first serve basis.
If you would like to occupy one of the other two spaces, please check the following schedule for the rest of the summer and let us know if you'd like to occupy a space and see how it goes. If we have more demand for spaces than the current 3 spaces, then we'll take a look at purchasing more.
Farmers Market Space availability
Details coming up in April, 2023.
Note: +MIP indicates Music in the Park Night. Normally the Farmers Market vendors sometimes close down at about at 7:00 p.m. when there is no music, while the Music in the Park Nights usually run until 8:00 to 8:30 p.m.
Contact Tom Nolte at the Chamber Office, 517-522-8838, or
History
The Spring Business Expo was one of the first events brought out by the Grass Lake Regional Chamber in 2006. Set up as an event to showcase the membership businesses in the area, more than 75 of the 100 members in the chamber entered the Expo in 2006 with little idea what could be expected.
Held usually on the second or third weekend in March, the event proved successful with the attendance of nearly 1200 people over the weekend to take in the newest in wares by area businesses, and sample the value of local entertainment groups and entities. Providing incentives to stop by their booth, businesses posted attractive drawings and hourly door prizes to those who took in the show. As well, the Chamber itself put up some significant benefits to attendees with drawings for gas cards, TV’s, game consoles and a host of other interesting items.
First starting with the Expo in Grass Lake High School gymnasium, it was an ideal opportunity for the community to get a firsthand look at the newest facilities of Grass Lake Community Schools. As the Expo continued its wide growth to more than 90 booths and exhibits, the Expo moved to the George Long Elementary School in 2010. In 2011 the expo moved back to Grass Lake High School with the aid of a new 6,000 square foot addition on the gymnasium.
The new addition provided a good opportunity to spread out a little more and accommodate even more booth space in the future. As well, the spacing allows for a little more spread-out in the gym with a meandering walk around the entire spread of booths, an entertainment area and food court, all in the same building without the confusion of a multitude of hallways. The layout of the exhibit booths are pictured with a range in prices indicated by colored shading. As the resgistration and payments come in, reserved spaces are marked out with a large red "X" and the name associated with that "X" is listed by booth number provided by clicking on the Registration Listing link above. If you'd like a print out of the booth layout and reservations listing then click on the "Booth Spaces Layout" and the "Reservations Listings" link above.
