Business After Hours Schedule for 2018

Mark Your Calendars for the 2018 Season of Business After Hours! March 20th: hosted by Premier Sotheby's International Realty, Blowing Rock (held at American Legion) April 10th: hosted by ZAP Fitness (9560 Blackberry Road, Blowing Rock) May 15th: hosted by Blowing Rock Frameworks & Gallery June 19th: hosted by The Speckled Trout Restaurant & Bottle Shop *No Business After Hours in July* August 21st: hosted by Shops at SouthMarke September 18th: hosted by The Blowing Rock October 11th: hosted by Schaefer Center Presents ... at Appalachian (a joint event with Boone Chamber) November 20th: hosted by Blue Ridge Realty and Investments LLC (location TBD) The Blowing Rock Chamber’s Business After Hours events are a fun and productive way to network with other local business professionals. Enjoy discussing ideas and building connections in a relaxed setting. Each event includes complimentary food and beverages, and often door prizes. Please note: these events are free and available to Chamber members only. Business After Hours are from 5:30 – 7:00 pm, unless otherwise noted. A Business After Hours email will be sent prior to each event confirming the details. Please RSVP using the link provided in that email. Your RSVP helps us to plan for food and beverages for these events. We look forward to a great season! Questions regarding Business After Hours? Not a member, but would like information? Call Loni Miller, Director of Membership Services, at 828.295.7851 or use the button to send an email. Email Loni Connect with us

Ribbon Cutting at reFresh Your Space!

We had a great ribbon cutting to celebrate the opening of Eric Reeve's reFresh Your Space business, on Feb. 22, 2018.

reFresh Your Space, Inc. is a professional Home Staging service. 

They believe the first step in connecting buyers to your home through fantastic professional photos meant to help people form an emotional connection with your home. 

Eric's work has even been featured on HGTV!

"I am also a North Carolina licensed real estate Broker and REALTOR®, which has allowed me to develop an understanding of the unique challenges in our market.  Armed with this knowledge, and by using the proven techniques of Home Staging, I am able to capitalize on these opportunities to help bring you a higher priced offer in less time than the market average*.  As a full-time resident of Blowing Rock, North Carolina, I specialize in the western High Country; including: Boone, Blowing Rock, Valle Crucis, Banner Elk, Foscoe, Seven Devils, Linville, Beech Mountain, West Jefferson, Vilas, Lenior and the surrounding areas.  Call us TODAY so we can get to work preparing your home to obtain TOP DOLLAR!" -- Eric Reeves

Weekly Village Update 2.22.18

Chamber Events & News

Ribbon Cutting TODAY! Thursday, February 22nd at 3:30 pm reFresh Your Space 1064 Meadowview Drive, Boone (behind Walgreen's) Join your friends from the Blowing Rock and Boone Area Chambers of Commerce for a ribbon cutting celebration at reFresh Your Space NEW Home Staging Studio! Champagne and sweet treats will be served!

Register to win a FREE home staging consultation!

Savor 2018 Update!

It’s that time of year again, time to get ready for Savor! We have been working on making this year’s event the best it has ever been. We have many, all-new events that will be added this year and will continue many of our successful old ones too. One of the big changes will involve the former Grand Tasting event in the big tent. This event is being overhauled and replaced with a concept that is more on-trend with other high-quality culinary festivals. We have added new anchor events for each day of the festival and will have more complete details to share very soon. Of course we need many hands to make Savor Blowing Rock a reality. In addition to the 125 volunteers we need to work the actual event, we are resurrecting what was once the super successful Blue Ridge Wine Festival Committee and renaming it Team Savor. While the Chamber's Strategic Events Committee has already outlined the main components of the events, we need people who will work with us to make them happen. Team Savor will meet weekly at 10:00 am on Wednesdays for one hour or less from March 7 through May 2. Of course no one can make every meeting, but we do expect you to make most of them. If you have questions or are interested in serving, please contact Charles, Loni, or Harrison. Business owners should be thinking about how you can leverage the Savor weekend to your advantage. We will be contacting many of you with specific ideas, and ask you to consider producing smaller events at your place of business during the gaps in the festival schedule. We provide a few large events to draw a crowd to town, but we want our visitors to really Savor the true Blowing Rock experience, through your authentic businesses!! This event is not a time to sit back and see what falls in your door. It is an opportunity for you to leverage this theme to create a compelling reason for customers to come in your door. The Chamber’s leadership along with our partner, the TDA and our sponsors, will provide the festival big events and the marketing to get the customers here. Once they're here, it is EVERYONE'S job to show off Blowing Rock's BEST and give our customers the best experience possible so they will return. Put your thinking caps on, and let us know how you'd like to get involved.

Happy Entrepreneurship Week The US Small Business Association's Emerging Leaders Initiative provides free entrepreneurship education and training for executives of small, poised-for-growth companies that are potential job creators. This intensive executive entrepreneurship series includes nearly 100 hours of classroom time. Read More

Connect with SBA's online training for young entrepreneurs.

Fraud Prevention Seminar Wednesday, March 14th at 1 pm First Citizens Bank Amber Moore, CTP, Small Business Treasury Specialist will discuss how to protect yourself from fraud. This seminar is FREE and open to the public; registration is required. Refreshments will be served. Space is limited to 20 attendees. Call the Blowing Rock Chamber of Commerce at 828.295.7851 to reserve your seat.

Registration will close when all seats are reserved.

Member Events & News

App State Football Corporate Packages Corporate package offering is a fantastic way for a business to get involved with Appalachian Football! Contact the athletic ticket office at 828.262.2079 for more information about how to secure your package for this season.

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Remembering Billy Graham The news of Billy Graham's passing on Wednesday, Feb. 21st quickly spread across the world. Locally, Graham's impact was felt at our Samaritan's Purse facility, whose programs impact over 100 countries. Click here for the Memorial Site

Exhibition "Creative Democracy: The Legacy of Black Mountain College." Now - June 2nd Turchin Center for the Visual Arts at Appalachian State University This exhibition, on display in the Main Gallery, features the artwork of many of the artists who attended and taught at Black Mountain College during its colorful 24-year history. Some of those artists are still working. The exhibition looks at the legacy of the Black Mountain College artists, what the Black Mountain experience meant to them, their influences on one another and their continuing place in the art world. Read More

Spring 2018 Exhibitions & Events Visit Website

World Spay Day Friday, February 23rd, 10:30 am - 11 pm Basil's, Boone Basil's will donate 15% of all food & drink sold between 10:30 am - 11 pm to low cost spay/neuter services funded by SNIPS of Watauga County Humane Society. Arts, crafts & jewelry will be on sale from 11:30 am - 8:30 pm.

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Spring Exhibition Celebration Friday, March 2nd, 6 pm - 10 pm Turchin Center for the Visual Arts The public is invited to “engage, discover and connect through the arts.” This is a wonderful opportunity to meet the artists and gain an “insider’s view” of the featured exhibitions. This event will be the beginning of a series of events celebrating the Turchin Center’s 15th year anniversary! This festive evening will include live music, refreshments and a cash bar and is free and open to the public. Read More

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Coffee with the Curator: Selections from the Collection Tuesday, February 27th at 11 am Blowing Rock Art & History Museum Take a walk through the galleries with Dianna Cameron, Curator of Exhibitions & Collections Director, and get a behind-the-scenes look into "Selections from the Collection." Guests are invited to converse and pose questions while enjoying complimentary cookies (courtesy of Appalachia Cookie Co.) and coffee (courtesy of Hatchet Coffee Co.) at the Museum.

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Opening for the Season! Sky Valley Zip Tours will be open weekends starting March 3rd, and seven days a week starting April 6th. $10 off tours on opening weekend with code OPEN2018. Call 855.475.9947 or visit the website for more information and to book your tour.

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Boyles Distinguished Lecture Series Presents: Lord Dr. Michael Hastings Friday, March 23rd at 3 pm Holmes Convocation Center The 60th event in the Boyles Distinguished Lecture Series will feature Dr. Michael Hastings, Lord of Scarisbrick CBE and Global Head of Citizenship for KPMG International. A reception will follow. Both lecture and reception are open to the public with no cost to attend.

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Please visit our website calendar for more events.

Do you have an announcement or event to include in our newsletter? Click the submit event button for our policy and instructions.

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Community Events & News

Memorial Park Trees Please see the attached report and photographs for a glimpse at the evidence that the Town used to make their tough decision on the trees. There a plan to replant twelve trees of different varieties that will not be susceptible to the same disease that was killing our maple trees. "Please be patient as we continue with the process of beautifying the Park," said Ed Evans, Town Manager.

Image from report.

Chamber Events, Information & Meetings

Ribbon Cutting: Thursday, February 22nd at 3:30 pm, reFresh Your Space, Boone Executive Board Meeting: Tuesday, February 27th at 8 am Board of Directors Meeting: Wednesday, March 7th at 8 am Fraud Prevention Seminar: Wednesday, March 14th at 1 pm, First Citizens Bank, Blowing Rock Business After Hours: Tuesday, March 20th at 5:30 pm, hosted by Premier Sotheby's International Realty, Blowing Rock, event will be held at BRAHM All meetings are held at the Chamber Boardroom unless otherwise noted.