Brewster Chamber stays busy with Salmon Derby, Mother’s Day, Downtown Strategies

BREWSTER – Downtown development, a visitors’ center, and new salmon derby sponsors were among a host of topics on the table at the regular monthly meeting of the Brewster Chamber of Commerce last Wednesday, March 8.

The new Downtown Strategies Committee will hold its first meeting next month. In the meantime, Alyce Brown, Executive Director of the NCW Economic Development District addressed the February 16 meeting of the Brewster City Council and endorsed the 2020 Downtown Strategic Vision compiled by Retail Strategies of Birmingham, Alabama, as a guide to help expand business opportunities and development in the city.

Roni Holder Diefenbach, Executive Director of the Economic Alliance, told the Chamber that she would be available to answer any questions or to help source funding. Holder said her office may apply for a new grant to help facilitate the process and hire a person to help with the groups like the Brewster Chamber get the ball rolling.

“We want to start with two or three items that are doable,” said Chamber President Mike Mauk, “and hope the community sees this and will come forward with ideas and help up make some of the changes the Downtown Strategic Vision study suggested.”

“We plan to start with wayfinder signs (one of the Downtown Strategies recommendations) on street corners in town and signs on the highway coming into town in both directions directing travelers to our downtown core,” said Mauk “and to our beautiful park where we just found out the city is going forward - thanks to the Douglas County PUD - to replace the old restrooms at the city park.”

Visitor Information Center:

Mauk is working with the Okanogan County Tourism Council (OCTC) to get the Chamber’s visitor information center (VIC) at the Senior Center on the map.

“The Commissioners have allotted $25,000 to the VIC’s in our county to update computers and a kiosk for visitors to be able to enter their zip code and will have a questionnaire asking about their stay here and a few things that the county wants to know,” said Mauk. “They are working with OCTC to spearhead this. They are wanting to make one central hub where all the VIC’s will connect throughout the county so they can keep track of visitors coming into each area.”

Mauk said he wants Brewster to benefit from those funds and technology. One more thing the Chamber is doing to bring people to our area and our businesses. This is essential for Lodging Tax Advisory Committee funds.

Mother’s Day Festival

Manny Hurtado updated the Chamber on plans to combine Cinco de Mayo (May 5) with Mother’s Day (May 14) into a single event on Saturday, May 13.

“The Chamber and the Brewster Business Association think this could be a great event replacing what in years past was the Cinco de Mayo event that brought in hundreds of people to town featuring dancing horses, folklore dances, vendors, music, and more,” Mauk said.

Chamber Vice-president Charlene Knox asked if it really was going to cost in the range of $9,000 to put the one-day event on. Hurtado explained the bands involve the highest cost of the event. Bands usually have 10 musicians and charge around $1,500 per hour and require a minimum of three or four hours.

The Chamber does not want to ask its membership for money, but rather for their support where they can and will work with them at getting a vendor application made.

“What would be ideal is to have each business sponsor part of the cost, and vendors fees paying the rest of the cost,” Mauk suggested.

Salmon Derby

The derby picked up some new sponsors at the Central Washington Sportsmen Show in Yakima on February 24-26. Brianna Bruce, Seattle owner/guide of  Livin’ Life Adventures, a Sockeye level sponsor, is donating a guided fishing trip.

“It will be a Kokanee trip for four people for the 2024 season on Lake Chelan - or they could choose to go to Lake Stevens,” said Mauk. “The trip will take place sometime in May or late April.”

Bruce is a Mack’s Lure Pro Staffer. She attended last year’s Derby and took the Northwest Fishing TV crew out where they filmed a yet-to-be-released episode during the derby.

New Spinner level sponsors include Takedown Tackle of Moxee City, and My Rod Holder of Wenatchee. Both will donate products for the event.

New Salmon Derby brochures are now available at the Senior Center and businesses are encouraged to come get some to put in their stores.

Aloha Dreams Mobile Espresso & Treats at Cashmere is considering being the coffee vendor at the Derby.

“They sound like they are on board,” said Mauk. “This is great and what for years we have been looking for,” said Mauk. “We already have the same food vendor as last year, and now, fingers crossed, an expresso, coffee and snacks vendor.”

Mauk is trying to convince the Colville Confederated Tribes (CCT) to put on a salmon feed fundraiser during Derby weekend but CCT member Mark Miller said the early August date is too close to another annual tribal event and CCT cannot manage to do a salmon feed fundraiser at that time. Holder-Diefenbach, also a CCT member, provided Mauk with names and departments to contact to try to work something out.

“We would love to have a festival along with the Derby for the locals and the fishermen that come from all over and we are looking for someone to step up and take this on,” said Mauk. “The derby brings the people, and the town needs to embrace it and make it what it has the potential to be: a nice three-day Salmon Festival. Getting the Tribes on board and honoring their heritage of the great salmon runs would be a huge benefit to them and our community.”

Yakima Sportsmen Show

Mauk said he came away from the Yakima show with a troubling realization: “I could not believe all the people that do not know where Brewster is,” said Mauk. “Fortunately, we had Jennifer Hackett with Northwest Portal there in the booth with her maps and we showed them our location and all the great things our area has to offer. We took a lot of promotion items from the members that we collected before the event and distributed of most of it.”

Big Horn Show

The Big Horn Show in Spokane is this weekend from March 16-19. The Chamber will occupy Booth 240 with promotional items, business cards, and flyers from its membership.

The next regular meeting of the Brewster Chamber is at 6 p.m., April 12, at the Senior Center.