Siloam Springs' retailers and restaurants were the stars of the inaugural Chamber of Commerce Showcase on Saturday evening.
The event, which took place at the Brick Ballroom, was designed to feature the food and fashion of Siloam Springs. Those who attended were able to sample food from 11 restaurants, taste beer or cream soda from Ivory Bill Brewing, listen to live music by Suite 25 and watch a fashion show featuring clothing from four local retailers.
The theme of the event was "Siloam Springs" and all of the food, music and fashion was local, according to Nathan Reed, vice president of the Chamber of Commerce. The restaurants represented a wide variety of flavors and featured new or specialty menu items.
A total of 100 people purchased tickets, which were $25, for the event. Another 50 people, who were owners or employees of the featured businesses, also attended.
The Showcase was inspired by an effort to provide businesses with a tangible benefit of being a Chamber member, Reed said. The Chamber works hard to market the community and promote local businesses, but often those efforts are more behind the scenes.The Showcase provides local businesses with direct, tangible benefits by allowing people to sample their food and see the clothing they offer. If someone attending the event likes what they see, they will go buy it later, he said.
On Monday, Reed said the Chamber had received plenty of positive feedback about the event and plans to continue it in the future.
"We just want to make sure everybody knows that everything at the event is from their hometown. ... That's something to be proud of, that all of that is available right here in your hometown," he said.
General News on 03/13/2019