Upcoming Chamber events scheduled for Olney
It is a busy time of year for the Olney Chamber of Commerce and Stacy Wade. There are plenty of upcoming events this month in the city of Olney that have something for the whole family.
Saturday, Aug. 13, the chamber is hosting the City Wide Back School Garage Sale. The event will last all day around the city of Olney. At 7 a.m., maps will be handed out at the Chamber office at 108 E. Main Street. Maps will be handed out until they run out. Those interested in getting their garage sale listed have until Thursday, Aug. 11 at noon to get their listing in.
After the garage sale, the chamber will be putting on Teacher Appreciation Breakfast. The meal is exclusively for local teachers and is a way for the Chamber and businesses to give back to local educators.
The fourth annual Back 2 School Bash will be held Tuesday, Aug. 23, at the Open Air Pavilion on 112 W. Main Street and will run from 5:30 to 8 p.m. The Back 2 School Bash gives Elementary, Junior High and High School students an opportunity to meet members of the OHS Band, cheerleaders, football team and coaches. Kids will get a free hot dog, water and cookie. The Olney Booster Club is providing the cookies. The event is being sponsored by the Chamber and local businesses.
There will also be face painting and cub tattoos at the Bash. The OHS Band will play to start the night off by playing some pieces. Then,
Chris Widner will DJ and play music for the kids to dance to.
There will be drawings for the kids throughout the night. Each student will get a ticket when they come in and then each level (elementary, junior high and high school) will have their own bucket that tickets will be pulled from and the winners will get prizes. There will also be games for the kids, as well.
The Bash is open to elementary, junior high and high school students. Anybody can come, but the drawings are for students. Elementary students need to be accompanied by a parent and not just dropped, to ensure that all of the students are safe.
The Chamber expects a great turnout and is planning for around 300 kids.
“We have a really good turnout. It’s a really good time. It’s to get the kids motivated, get them some spirit going,” Stacy Wade with the Olney Chamber of Commerce said. “It’s kind of a booster thing, but it is a chamber thing too. We want the kids and the community to get the Cub spirit. Let’s get behind these kids. Tell them to have a great year and help get them through school. We want to tell the community and the kids, because the community has to come out and support the kids to get stuff done. Rather its football, basketball, baseball, cross country or band, if it’s anything they can come to its great for kids to know that they are in the stands. If we can start building that and start giving back saying, ‘Hey have a good year. We are behind you.’ That’s kind of what we did with starting the Bash.”
The next big event for the Chamber of Commerce is the ninth annual Show-N-Shine Car Show and Cruise. The car show kicks off on Saturday, Sept. 10, with registration getting started at 8 a.m. Two new classes of vehicles have been added for 2016. Cars, trucks, motorcycles, tractors and now golf carts and UTVs will be involved in the show. Those interested in participating in the car show can register now. Early registration is $15. On the day of the event registration will be $20. Goodie bags will also be given to the first 25 to register at the car show.
The judging will get under way at the car show at 10 a.m. and the awards will be presented from 12 to 1 p.m. The cruise will get started at 1 p.m., and run until 1:30 p.m. From 1:30 to 2 p.m. will be Sonic time. The cruise used to be done for an hour, but this year Sonic is getting involved and providing some discounts for car show and cruise participants. Participants will get one free drink at sonic, a half-priced drink and half-priced burgers during the 30-minutes of Sonic time.
There will be vendors as well at the car show. So far Sausage-on-a-Stick, Snow Cones, and window decals have signed up to be vendors. Anyone can apply to be a vendor. The cost to be a vendor is $20.
Lake Country Radio will also be broadcasting live from the car show from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. There are a lot of events going on in Olney on Saturday, Sept. 10. The 10th is also the date for the Olney Amputee Dove Hunt. There is also the fifth annual ride for life motorcycle ride. It will get started from the Open Air Pavilion.
The car show will also have t-shirts available for sale. Aug. 19 is the deadline to be a car show t-shirt sponsor. Businesses can put a logo on the back of the shirts.
There will also be a Car Show Dance at the Open Air Pavilion that will get underway at 8 p.m., and run until 11 p.m. There will be live music and local DJs at the event.
The car show had a great turnout last year. Last year was the first year that the car show moved downtown from the big park.
“It’s a lot of families that come,” Wade said. “They really have a good time. They visit. I had one that called me the other day that said, ‘I mailed mine in because it is like our reunion.’ That to us is great because I have been here for several years and I know these people too, so it’s like a family coming to me. I try to make sure that I see everyone there. That’s my main goal is to say hello to everyone. Sometimes I might miss someone, but I try to visit everyone. It grows each year. It’s just like a family thing each year.”
The local support and the sense of community really make the upcoming events in Olney special.
“Our town comes out and supports. It’s great. It’s just a really big day in Olney,” Wade said. “We have a really good time. Other than that, we are laid back. It’s not big prizes, but it’s fun prizes. When it’s not one of your huge big car shows. There is no stress. It’s real laid back. We have really good judges this year. They have done some studies on the car stuff for me, and we are looking forward to that. We are just excited and hoping it is just a big day.”
The downtown location of the car show seems to be a hit. The car show helps draw people downtown and ultimately will help the community grow centrally.