Chamber News & Announcements

Welcome back to the Lanesboro Area Chamber of Commerce's Depot Delivery! We are relaunching the newsletter to bring you — our members, friends and residents — the need-to-know news about what’s going on with the Chamber and throughout Lanesboro.

First, we would like to share the news that Andrzej Zalasinski, Jr., has resigned from his position as executive director of the Lanesboro Area Chamber of Commerce (LACC). We thank him for his leadership of the chamber for the past four years and wish him well as he begins a new chapter in his life, pursuing opportunities closer to his home in St. Paul. Melissa Vander Plas, who has served as an office administrator at LACC since September, has accepted the position of interim director of the organization. Before joining the team at LACC, she served as the director of the Harmony Area Chamber of Commerce. Prior to that position, she had a 25-year career as a writer, photographer and editor of three newspapers published by the Bluff Country Newspaper Group. If you have any questions about this transition or the organization, do not hesitate to reach out to the Board of Directors at [email protected] . Melissa can be reached at [email protected]  Jonathan Levine continues to serve as an office administrator and works closely with chamber members and manages the visitor center operations. He can be reached at [email protected] 

In other news:

 - 2023 Maps are in have now arrived at the visitor center! Guides are in production and should arrive in about 10 days. As soon as they do, staff will begin distribution to our members and nearby visitor centers. In the meantime, feel free to swing by our office and pick up some maps.

 - Tuesday Tune Ups are coming back as well! Join us on Tuesday, May 9, at 11am, for the first of many training sessions for chamber members. These sessions are designed to help you get the most out of your membership. This month we will be conducting a ChamberMaster refresher course on how to update your hours, profile information and events to our calendar. We’ll do our best to make it fun.

 - The May Walking Tour is coming up! Join fellow chamber members on Thursday, May 18, as we hit up the downtown businesses to learn more about what may be new this year. Business owners and employees will be available to answer any questions you may have. Meet at Sylvan Brewing at 5:30 pm, where we’ll start and end the evening! Sign Up Here!

Member Updates

Lanesboro Arts has done it again! In case you missed it, Lanesboro Arts announced the 2023 Rhythm on the Root lineup and once more, it is a banger. Check out the details of the concert series here. We are super hyped for General B and The Wiz, Sleeping Jesus and Faith Boblete to all take the stage at Gateway Park.

Have you stopped by the American Legion recently? They’ve got things going on every night of the week! Margarita Mondays and Taco Tuesdays are a hit, and “Ladies" and “Dudes,” on Wednesday and Thursday nights, will see $1 off specials for their respective folks on their respective nights. The weekends are jam-packed as well, with meat raffles every Friday, Bloody Mary Bars on Saturday and games galore all day Sunday! That’s all on top of the fish fry and burger nights.

The Aroma Pie Shoppe in nearby Whalan recently announced it would be opening for the season on Saturday, May 13, from 10 am to 5 pm, and on Sunday, May 14, from 10 am to 4 pm.

Ear to the Ground

Be sure to let us know what you have going on to add it to our "Ear to the Ground" section! We’d love to add it to our list. Simply post your event to our online calendar through your member portal or email [email protected] 

 - Tuesday Trivia: May the Fourth be with you, and also with you, and you, and you and you and you. Star Wars will be the topic on May 2. Side Hoes, and other side things, will be the topic on May 9. Going out on a limb here, but I’m going to guess Potato’s Au Gratin?

 - Jokes on Tap is coming up tomorrow night (Friday, April 28) at Sylvan Brewing.  Don’t sleep on this hilarious night of belly laughs and delicious brews. The show starts at 8 pm, but you probably want to get there early to get a good spot.

 - Live Music 

Saturday April 29, Orchid Jane will be at the High Court Pub

Saturday May 6, Charlie Warner will be at the High Court Pub

 - Lanesboro Arts is hosting a workshop on Monday, May 1, with Artist-in-Residence Sue Hwang to discuss revising and revisiting your work in poetry at the St. Mane Theatre from 6-7 pm. Some participants will also be sharing their work along with Sue on Friday, May 5, at the St. Mane, also from 6-7 pm.

 - Indoor Rock Climbing is back at Eagle Bluff on Saturday, May 6, with two classes, the first beginning at 9 am and the second at 10:30 am. Learn the fundamentals of rock climbing on a 30-foot-high, indoor wall with routes to suit every level of climber. No prior experience required, as the indoor wall offers over 35 routes, ranging from beginner to expert. $10

 - Bernhardt/Hamlet continues its hilarious run at the Commonweal Theatre this weekend. Be sure to check out the amazing performances and this truly unique take on real life events. Get your tickets now for the previews of Deathtrap! You want to be the first to watch this twisty and turny, who-done-it before it gets spoiled!

 - Karst Brewing, over in nearby Fountain, is hosting Sink-hole De Mayo from May 4 through May 7. They will have a variety of food trucks and activities all weekend long!

Important Reminders for Members

Bring Us Your Brochures and Rack Cards! Member businesses can display your rack cards or any other type of promotional material here at the Visitors Center. We even have a little cubby with your business name on it (literally) to store back ups so your business will always be on display. Stock your cubby today!

Be Sure to Keep Your Hours Up-to-Date. As the season becomes busier, and the weather still a tricky wicket, we know changing your hours can be as much of an art as it is a science. Be sure to keep your hours up-to-date in ChamberMaster so we can provide the most accurate and current information we can to our visitors and residents. If you need help on figuring out just how to manage your account in ChamberMaster, join us for the upcoming Tuesday TuneUp event on May 9, which is noted above.

Join us again, for another Depot Delivery, on Thursday, May 11. If you have something to include, please email [email protected]