Post Messenger Recorder -

The Brooklyn Area Chamber of Commerce is hosting a Business Expo on Saturday, April 25, from 8:00 a.m. to Noon, in the Brooklyn Community Building at 102 N. Rutland St. After several years of the Business Expo hiatus, the Chamber is planning the annual Business Expo this year during the annual village wide garage sales weekend. We welcome you to find your local yard treasures and business resources in our friendly small town, just 20 minutes south of Madison and 30 minutes north of Janesville. The Village wide garage sales will take place Friday, April 24, and Saturday, April 25.

The Business Expo kicks off at 8:00 a.m., with a wide variety of local businesses and non-profits ready to show off their activities and products. Starting at 8:30 a.m. is a series of three 45 minutes seminars: Financial Services Center, Inc., Levi D. Cutler- CFP®, AIF® "Protect Your Identity"; Brooklyn Community Bank, a branch of Middleton Community Bank, Robert B. Helvey "Mortgage Lending"; and Dane Buy Local, "What is Dane Buy Local All About". We invite you to register for our door prizes donated by the businesses/non-profits, including two tickets to the Kalahari and many other gifts; you need not be present to win. In addition we will have a 50/50 cash raffle with tickets only being sold during the event, you also do not need to be present to win. The Brooklyn/Oregon Optimists will be serving refreshments, including coffee and more. Our local Dairy Queen, Liz Grady, will also be greeting our guests and serving cheese and assisting with the door prize and raffle tickets. In addition the Brooklyn Veteran’s Memorial Committee is hosting a 13 panel traveling display from the Wisconsin Veteran’s Museum, “Working Warriors, Military Life Beyond Combat”. We will also have a bouncy house outside the community building to entertain your children as you learn more about the wonderful resources in Brooklyn. In addition there will be a Putting Contest to take place from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., with Finals to take place from 11:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Participants must be 21 years or older. Winner receives $100 gift card to the Anchor Club in Brooklyn. Contest sponsored by Levi Cutler of the Financial Services Center.

If you would like to register for a booth, the fee is $40 for non-members and free to Chamber members and non-profits. You must reserve your space by Friday, April 10th, to be included in the Expo Brochure. All booths must be reserved no later than April 17th. (Note: we will not accept duplicate vendors for booths, first come first serve. Chamber members will be given priority.) You must provide your own table and chairs or move and return table/chairs at the location. The business expo will be advertised in local papers, websites and on our Facebook.com/BACoC page.

The Brooklyn Area Chamber of Commerce has been working since December of 2013 to expand membership and has successfully tripled its members. We have reciprocated membership with Dane Buy Local which affords us the distribution and contacts of a regional business entity. We look forward to working with all our local business partners.

For more information or for an application, call Chamber President Ann Wanless at (608) 628-2755 or email the chamber at Brooklynchamberwi@outlook.com. Ads for the Village wide garage sales may be placed with the Oregon Observer at (608) 835-6677, Fax (608) 835-0130 or ungclassified@wcinet.com, $18.50 fee.