OLDS — The Olds & District Chamber of Commerce has come up with a way to celebrate winners of the 2021 Small Business Awards, who weren’t able to receive that recognition last fall, due to COVID restrictions.
On June 22, they’re holding Business Beer and Burgers, a casual event at the Olds College Botanic Gardens and Constructed Wetlands.
The event starts at 5:30 p.m. There will be a hamburger supper and participants can buy wine or Olds College beer for $5.50 each.
Tickets are $30; $35 for those who are not members of the chamber and they’re available on Eventbrite. Printed tickets are also available at the Albertan/chamber office.
Murray Elliott, chair of the chamber's Small Business Awards committee, was asked why the Botanic Gardens were chosen as the site for the 2021 awards.
“You know, we had a discussion. We thought it’s nice to have an outdoor event. It’s beautiful there. A lot of people who’ve lived here for years haven’t even seen it,” he said.
"It is a pretty setting and it will be rain or shine. We will have a number of tents there. It will just be a casual evening. It won’t be a long evening.”
Entertainment will be provided by local musician Dustin Farr.
“He’s well-known, he’s great,” Elliott said.
The Olds & District Chamber of Commerce plans to hold its 2022 Small Business awards banquet this October at the Olds College Alumni Centre, the site of previous such awards nights until COVID hit.
Elliott was asked why the 2021 awards won’t be held along with the 2022 awards at the fall banquet.
“Because we thought it was nice to have something more casual. And to wait until October, we didn’t want to do that because October is Small Business Week,” he said during an interview.
“People are anxious to get out. It’s a casual setting. It’ll a good burger, a nice casual meal, you can dress casually and see the wetlands.”
