Hard on the heels of the Holiday season, the Becker Area Chamber of Commerce will host the 21st Annual Business Expo in the field house at Becker High School on Sat., Jan. 25 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Over fifty vendors have already signed up, according to organizer Michelle Peacock, with a goodly number expected to come onboard in the days remaining before the event.
Parking is always a premium at this popular event, which will include a new degree of complexity this year due to the on-going construction on the BHS campus. Most of the main lots will be available for attendee and vendor parking, Peacock said, and the Expo planners have created a parking map that will be provided to all of the vendors to help alleviate congestion.
Areas around the new swimming pool and auditorium construction sites will close up some access and parking areas, she said, though organizers are confident the vendors and the public will be flexible during this “one-time” displacement at the Expo. The construction projects are slated for completion before the start of school next fall.
The plan asks that vendors use “Door A” on the other side of the building when feasible, Peacock said, which will be shown in detail on the new map.
The program will include displays from a host of local businesses, medical facilities and care providers, contractors, financial institutions, churches and representatives of local, county and state government agencies and elected officials. The always busy food court has received confirmations from Big D’s Pizza, Café Pawz and McDonald’s of Becker to date, and the entertainment venue will host performances from the talented students at Starz Dance.
Also on hand will be the state- and regional-competition winning Becker High School robotics team, along with their champion “Liberty Xcelerator” robot.
The Farm Friends will host a barn exhibit this year, an organization formerly known at the “Little Farm Hands”, according to organizer Jean Johnson.
“Citizen” reporter Bill Morgan will also return with his caricatures, always one of the most popular exhibits on the floor.
There will be paper bags provided by Liberty Paper Inc. for attendees to collect the various items provided by vendors, and there will be prizes and giveaways throughout the day, Peacock said. Attendees can also register for a chance to win a Kindle® Fire HDX, and there are some other entertainment surprises still in the works that will be revealed at a later date.
